PAM_GETENV(3)

💅 PAM_GETENV — get a PAM environment variable ✨

okay so before we even start: this is page PAM_GETENV(3) from the Linux-PAM crew, and honestly? she's short, she's sweet, she's an icon. let's get into it 🎀

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🌸 NAME 🌸

pam_getenv — literally just gets you a PAM environment variable, bestie. that's the whole gig 🫶

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <security/pam_appl.h>

const char *pam_getenv(pam_handle_t *pamh, const char *name);

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💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the vibe: pam_getenv goes digging through the PAM environment list — the one that's attached to the handle pamh — looking for an item that matches the string that name points to. and when she finds it? she hands you back a pointer to the value of that environment variable. main character behaviour, no cap 👑

but bestie, listen to me: the application is not allowed to free the data. like, do not touch it, do not free() it, do not come for it. that pointer is not yours to release 🙈 that's the one rule and she will not be repeating herself.

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🔥 RETURN VALUES 🔥

pam_getenv returns NULL on failure. that's it. that's the whole return section. sometimes things are just simple 💀

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🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

• pam_start(3)
• pam_getenvlist(3)
• pam_putenv(3)
• pam(8)

go read those if you wanna complete the set, iykyk 💜

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and that's the whole page, bestie, you ate that 🍓 this little beauty comes to you courtesy of Linux-PAM, dated 07/08/2026, and she answers to PAM_GETENV(3). mwah 💋✨