PAM_XAUTH(8) Linux-PAM Manual PAM_XAUTH(8) (NAME) pam_xauth - PAM xauth (SYNOPSIS) pam_xauth.so [debug] [xauthpath=/path/to/xauth] [systemuser=UID] [targetuser=UID] (DESCRIPTION) PAM pam_xauth xauth ( "" ) . pam_xauth xauth su(1) X . pam_xauth su ( ) ( ) . su(1) xterm X xauth(1) ~/.Xauthority . pam_xauth xauth $DISPLAY . ~/.xauth/export ~/.xauth/import . ~/.xauth/import . ~/.xauth/import . ~/.xauth/export . ~/.xauth/export root . ~/.xauth/export root . import export ( *) . . (OPTIONS) debug (). xauthpath=/path/to/xauth xauth ( /usr/X11R6/bin/xauth /usr/bin/xauth /usr/bin/X11/xauth ). systemuser=UID UID "" . pam_xauth UID root "targetuser" ( ) . targetuser=UID UID systemuser . (MODULE TYPES PROVIDED) session . (RETURN VALUES) PAM_BUF_ERR . PAM_PERM_DENIED import/export . PAM_SESSION_ERR UID . PAM_SUCCESS . PAM_USER_UNKNOWN . (EXAMPLES) /etc/pam.d/su su xauth : session optional pam_xauth.so (IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS) pam_xauth setuid getuid() PAM . su(1) . pam_open_session() pam_close_session() ruid uid euid root PAM_USER . pam_xauth xauth(1) $DISPLAY xauth . pam_xauth . (FILES) ~/.xauth/import xauth. ~/.xauth/export xauth. (SEE ALSO) pam.conf(5), pam.d(5), pam(8) (AUTHOR) pam_xauth Nalin Dahyabhai Michael K. Johnson . Linux-PAM 01/26/2026 PAM_XAUTH(8)