Many modules support a set of parameters across different PAM implementations. Knowing these parameters and their meaning can help us move between various UNIX platforms and use different modules.
The debug
parameter is probably the most used parameter, in particular during the implementation and testing phases of a new PAM configuration. The parameter can be used in all four management groups. As the name suggests, using this parameter turns on a debugging mode for the particular module.
Debugging in the context of PAM modules implies writing information to syslog about the progress of the work done by the module.
The syslog facility is the standard log facility on UNIX operating systems. A new implementation named syslog-ng (next generation) exists, and it provides better facilities for storing log messages on a central log server. Syslog-ng is not yet common but Debian and Ubuntu have packages in their repository for syslog-ng. It consists of a set of system calls and a daemon...