pam_mkhomedir (8)

pam_mkhomedir.so [silent] [umask=mode] [skel=skeldir]

The pam_mkhomedir PAM module will create a users home directory if it does not exist when the session begins. This allows users to be present in central database (such as NIS, kerberos or LDAP) without using a distributed file system or pre-creating a large number of directories. The skeleton directory (usually /etc/skel/) is used to copy default files and also sets a umask for the creation.

The new users home directory will not be removed after logout of the user.

silent

Don't print informative messages.

umask=mask

The user file-creation mask is set to mask. The default value of mask is 0022.

skel=/path/to/skel/directory

Indicate an alternative skel directory to override the default /etc/skel.

Only the session module type is provided.

PAM_BUF_ERR

Memory buffer error.

PAM_CRED_INSUFFICIENT

Insufficient credentials to access authentication data.

PAM_PERM_DENIED

Not enough permissions to create the new directory or read the skel directory.

PAM_USER_UNKNOWN

User not known to the underlying authentication module.

PAM_SUCCESS

Environment variables were set.

/etc/skel

Default skel directory

A sample /etc/pam.d/login file:

  auth       requisite   pam_securetty.so
  auth       sufficient  pam_ldap.so
  auth       required    pam_unix.so
  auth       required    pam_nologin.so
  account    sufficient  pam_ldap.so
  account    required    pam_unix.so
  password   required    pam_unix.so
  session    required    pam_mkhomedir.so skel=/etc/skel/ umask=0022
  session    required    pam_unix.so
  session    optional    pam_lastlog.so
  session    optional    pam_mail.so standard

pam.d(5), pam(7).

pam_mkhomedir was written by Jason Gunthorpe <[email protected]>.