PAM_TIME(8)

📦
version 1.7.3 · 18 versions
, in arch rolling

✨ PAM_TIME 💅

okay bestie, so this is the Linux-PAM Manual page for pam_time — the module that's literally the bouncer of time. no cap. 🕐👑

🌸 NAME 🌸

pam_time — the PAM module that does time control access. it's giving "you can come in, but only at the right hour, on the right day, from the right terminal." ⏰🚪

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

pam_time.so [conffile=conf-file] [debug] [noaudit]

short, sweet, three little options. slay. ✨

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

so here's the tea, bestie: pam_time does NOT authenticate the user. it's not doing passwords, it's not doing vibes-checking of credentials. nope. instead, it restricts access to a system and/or specific applications at various times of the day, on specific days, or over various terminal lines. main character behaviour honestly. 🌈

you can configure this module to deny access to (individual) users based on:

  • their name 🪪
  • the time of day 🕰️
  • the day of week 📅
  • the service they're applying for 💅
  • their terminal, like which one they're making their request from 🖥️

by default, the rules for time/port access come from the config file /etc/security/time.conf. wanna use a different file? just pass the conffile option. easy. 🎀

and if Linux PAM is compiled with audit support, the module will report when it denies access. snitch behaviour, but make it security. 🚨

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

  • conffile=/path/to/time.conf — point at an alternative time.conf-style configuration file so it overrides the default one. your file, your rules, your era. 👑
  • debug — prints some debug information with syslog(3). for when you wanna see what's going on under the hood, nosy bestie energy. 🔍
  • noaudit — do NOT report logins at disallowed times to the audit subsystem. quiet mode activated. 🤫

💜 MODULE TYPES PROVIDED 💜

only the account type is provided. that's it. one type. it knows its lane and it stays in it. periodt. 💅

🌟 RETURN VALUES 🌟

here's the vibe check results, bestie:

  • PAM_SUCCESS — access was granted. come on in, queen. 🎉
  • PAM_ABORT — not all relevant data could be gotten. 😭 it tried, it really did.
  • PAM_BUF_ERR — memory buffer error. the RAM said "not today". 💀
  • PAM_PERM_DENIED — access was NOT granted. the door said no. 🚫
  • PAM_USER_UNKNOWN — the user is not known to the system. who even are you? 🙈

🍓 FILES 🍓

  • /etc/security/time.conf — the default configuration file. the blueprint. the source material. ✨

🧚 EXAMPLES 🧚

okay so here's how you'd actually use it, and yes it's giving PAM config realness:

#%PAM-1.0
#
# apply pam_time accounting to login requests
#
login  account  required  pam_time.so

look at that. login requests, account type, required, and the star of the show: pam_time.so. ate. 🔥

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

time.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(8). go read those too, they're the supporting cast and they understood the assignment. 📚🫶

⭐ AUTHOR ⭐

pam_time was written by Andrew G. Morgan <morgan@kernel.org>. iconic. legend behaviour. we stan. 👑

and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🎀 this one shipped under the Linux-PAM banner, dated 09/27/2026. go forth and schedule your access like the organized queen you are. mwah. 💖🦋✨

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