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What is pam_panic?

pam_panic is a library which expands the common Linux authentication module Linux-PAM by a panic function.

What is a panic function?

In general

Imagine you are in an emergency situation, threatened by someone. If you'd work in a bank you'd push an alarm button. Pushing the alarm button is a conscious and deliberate panic action which executes something to secure yourself, like a silent alarm or even a big wall coming down.

In pam_panic's context

pam_panic is another security layer you should put before entering your password (see Configuration). pam_panic will ask you for a removable media respectively a password you've set before. There you can decide if you plug in your panic media / enter your panic password or plug in your authentication device / authentication password. If you should enter your panic password/media you can define through flags what happens then.