6.42. pam_wheel - only permit root access to members of group wheel
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## 6.42. pam_wheel - only permit root access to members of group wheel

`pam_wheel.so` [ debug ] [ deny ] [ group=`name` ] [ root_only ] [ trust ] [ use_uid ]

### 6.42.1. DESCRIPTION

The pam_wheel PAM module is used to enforce the so-called wheel group. By default it permits access to the target user if the applicant user is a member of the wheel group. If no group with this name exist, the module is using the group with the group-ID 0.

### 6.42.2. OPTIONS

debug

  Print debug information.

deny

  Reverse the sense of the auth operation: if the user is trying to get UID 0 access and is a member of the wheel group (or the group of the `group` option), deny access. Conversely, if the user is not in the group, return PAM_IGNORE (unless `trust` was also specified, in which case we return PAM_SUCCESS).

group=name

  Instead of checking the wheel or GID 0 groups, use the ``name`` group to perform the authentication.

root_only

  The check for wheel membership is done only when the target user UID is 0.

trust

  The pam_wheel module will return PAM_SUCCESS instead of PAM_IGNORE if the user is a member of the wheel group (thus with a little play stacking the modules the wheel members may be able to su to root without being prompted for a passwd).

use_uid

  The check will be done against the real uid of the calling process, instead of trying to obtain the user from the login session associated with the terminal in use.

### 6.42.3. MODULE TYPES PROVIDED

The auth and account module types are provided.

### 6.42.4. RETURN VALUES

PAM_AUTH_ERR

  Authentication failure.

PAM_BUF_ERR

  Memory buffer error.

PAM_IGNORE

  The return value should be ignored by PAM dispatch.

PAM_PERM_DENY

  Permission denied.

PAM_SERVICE_ERR

  Cannot determine the user name.

PAM_SUCCESS

  Success.

PAM_USER_UNKNOWN

  User not known.

### 6.42.5. EXAMPLES

The root account gains access by default (rootok), only wheel members can become root (wheel) but Unix authenticate non-root applicants.

    su      auth     sufficient     pam_rootok.so
    su      auth     required       pam_wheel.so
    su      auth     required       pam_unix.so

### 6.42.6. AUTHOR

pam_wheel was written by Cristian Gafton <gafton@redhat.com>.

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