PAM_START(3)             BSD Library Functions Manual             PAM_START(3)

NAME
     pam_start -- initiate a PAM transaction

LIBRARY
     Pluggable Authentication Module Library (libpam, -lpam)

SYNOPSIS
     #include <sys/types.h>
     #include <security/pam_appl.h>

     int
     pam_start(const char *service, const char *user,
         const struct pam_conv *pam_conv, pam_handle_t **pamh);

DESCRIPTION
     The pam_start function creates and initializes a PAM context.

     The service argument specifies the name of the policy to apply, and is
     stored in the PAM_SERVICE item in the created context.

     The user argument specifies the name of the target user - the user the
     created context will serve to authenticate.  It is stored in the PAM_USER
     item in the created context.

     The pam_conv argument points to a struct pam_conv describing the conver-
     sation function to use; see pam_conv for details.

RETURN VALUES
     The pam_start function returns one of the following values:

     [PAM_BUF_ERR]       Memory buffer error.

     [PAM_SYSTEM_ERR]    System error.

SEE ALSO
     pam(3), pam_end(3), pam_get_item(3), pam_set_item(3), pam_strerror(3)

STANDARDS
     X/Open Single Sign-On Service (XSSO) - Pluggable Authentication Modules,
     June 1997.

AUTHORS
     The pam_start function and this manual page were developed for the
     FreeBSD Project by ThinkSec AS and Network Associates Laboratories, the
     Security Research Division of Network Associates, Inc. under DARPA/SPAWAR
     contract N66001-01-C-8035 (``CBOSS''), as part of the DARPA CHATS
     research program.

BSD                            December 21, 2007                           BSD