> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://mariadb.com/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://mariadb.com/docs/server/reference/plugins/authentication-plugins/authentication-with-pluggable-authentication-modules-pam.md).

# Authentication with Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)

Learn about authentication with Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM) in MariaDB Server. This section details how to integrate MariaDB with PAM for centralized and flexible user authentication.

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[Authentication Plugin - PAM](/docs/server/reference/plugins/authentication-plugins/authentication-with-pluggable-authentication-modules-pam/authentication-plugin-pam.md)
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The PAM authentication plugin delegates password validation to the operating system's PAM framework, enabling integration with LDAP, Kerberos, and other services.
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[Configuring PAM Authentication and User Mapping with LDAP Authentication](/docs/server/reference/plugins/authentication-plugins/authentication-with-pluggable-authentication-modules-pam/configuring-pam-authentication-and-user-mapping-with-ldap-authentication.md)
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Learn to configure the PAM plugin to authenticate users via LDAP and map LDAP groups to MariaDB accounts using the pam\_user\_map module.
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[Configuring PAM Authentication and User Mapping with Unix Authentication](/docs/server/reference/plugins/authentication-plugins/authentication-with-pluggable-authentication-modules-pam/configuring-pam-authentication-and-user-mapping-with-unix-authentication.md)
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This guide shows how to authenticate database users using local Unix accounts and map Unix groups to MariaDB users with the PAM plugin.
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[User and Group Mapping with PAM](/docs/server/reference/plugins/authentication-plugins/authentication-with-pluggable-authentication-modules-pam/user-and-group-mapping-with-pam.md)
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The pam\_user\_map PAM module allows administrators to map external PAM users and groups to specific MariaDB accounts for flexible authorization management.
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<sub>*This page is licensed: CC BY-SA / Gnu FDL*</sub>