pluggable authentication module

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

Pluggable Authentication Module
PAM

   <security> (PAM) The new industry standard integrated {login}
   {framework}.  PAM is used by system entry components, such as
   the {Common Desktop Environment}'s dtlogin, to authenticate
   users logging into a {Unix} system.  It provides pluggability
   for a variety of system-entry services.  PAM's ability to
   {stack} authentication {modules} can be used to integrate
   {login} with different authentication mechanisms such as
   {RSA}, {DCE} and {Kerberos}, and thus unify login mechanisms.
   PAM can also integrate {smart card} authentication.

   White paper (http://gr.osf.org/book/psm-wppr.htm).

   [OSF-RFC 86.0 V. Samar, R. Schemers, "Unified Login with
   Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)", Oct 1995].

   (1997-07-18)