Manual: pam_timestamp_check

PAM_TIMESTAMP_CHECK(8)				      Linux-PAM Manual				      PAM_TIMESTAMP_CHECK(8)

NAME
       pam_timestamp_check - Check to see if the default timestamp is valid

SYNOPSIS

       pam_timestamp_check [-k] [-d] [target_user]

DESCRIPTION
       With no arguments pam_timestamp_check will check to see if the default timestamp is valid, or optionally remove it.

OPTIONS
       -k
	   Instead of checking the validity of a timestamp, remove it. This is analogous to sudo's -k option.

       -d
	   Instead of returning validity using an exit status, loop indefinitely, polling regularly and printing the status
	   on standard output.

       target_user
	   By default pam_timestamp_check checks or removes timestamps generated by pam_timestamp when users authenticate as
	   themselves. When the user authenticates as a different user, the name of the timestamp file changes to
	   accommodate this.  target_user allows one to specify this user name.

RETURN VALUES
       0
	   The timestamp is valid.

       2
	   The binary is not setuid root.

       3
	   Invalid invocation.

       4
	   User is unknown.

       5
	   Permissions error.

       6
	   Invalid controlling tty.

       7
	   Timestamp is not valid.

NOTES
       Users can get confused when they are not always asked for passwords when running a given program. Some users
       reflexively begin typing information before noticing that it is not being asked for.

EXAMPLES
	   auth sufficient pam_timestamp.so verbose
	   auth required   pam_unix.so

	   session required pam_unix.so
	   session optional pam_timestamp.so

FILES
       /var/run/sudo/...
	   timestamp files and directories

SEE ALSO
       pam_timestamp_check(8), pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(7)

AUTHOR
       pam_timestamp was written by Nalin Dahyabhai.

Linux-PAM						 07/16/2026				      PAM_TIMESTAMP_CHECK(8)