6.20. pam_mkhomedir - create users home directory
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## 6.20. pam_mkhomedir - create users home directory

`pam_mkhomedir.so` [ silent ] [ umask=`mode` ] [ skel=`skeldir` ]

### 6.20.1. DESCRIPTION

The pam_mkhomedir PAM module will create a users home directory if it does not exist when the session begins. This allows users to be present in central database (such as NIS, kerberos or LDAP) without using a distributed file system or pre-creating a large number of directories. The skeleton directory (usually `/etc/skel/`) is used to copy default files and also sets a umask for the creation.

The new users home directory will not be removed after logout of the user.

### 6.20.2. OPTIONS

`silent`

  Don't print informative messages.

`umask=`mask``

  The user file-creation mask is set to `mask`. The default value of mask is 0022.

`skel=`/path/to/skel/directory``

  Indicate an alternative `skel` directory to override the default `/etc/skel`.

### 6.20.3. MODULE TYPES PROVIDED

Only the `session` module type is provided.

### 6.20.4. RETURN VALUES

PAM_BUF_ERR

  Memory buffer error.

PAM_CRED_INSUFFICIENT

  Insufficient credentials to access authentication data.

PAM_PERM_DENIED

  Not enough permissions to create the new directory or read the skel directory.

PAM_USER_UNKNOWN

  User not known to the underlying authentication module.

PAM_SUCCESS

  Environment variables were set.

### 6.20.5. EXAMPLES

A sample /etc/pam.d/login file:

      auth       requisite   pam_securetty.so
      auth       sufficient  pam_ldap.so
      auth       required    pam_unix.so
      auth       required    pam_nologin.so
      account    sufficient  pam_ldap.so
      account    required    pam_unix.so
      password   required    pam_unix.so
      session    required    pam_mkhomedir.so skel=/etc/skel/ umask=0022
      session    required    pam_unix.so
      session    optional    pam_lastlog.so
      session    optional    pam_mail.so standard

### 6.20.6. AUTHOR

pam_mkhomedir was written by Jason Gunthorpe <jgg@debian.org>.

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