arch-wiki-md-repo/wiki/_content/english/Pam mount.md

All arch-wiki articles in markdown format, updated every two days.

Related articles

*   [dm-crypt/Mounting at login](/index.php/Dm-crypt/Mounting_at_login "Dm-crypt/Mounting at login")
*   [PAM](/index.php/PAM "PAM")

[pam_mount](http://pam-mount.sourceforge.net/) can be used to automatically mount an encrypted home partition (encrypted with, for example, [LUKS](/index.php/LUKS "LUKS") or [ECryptfs](/index.php/ECryptfs "ECryptfs")) on user log in. It will mount your `/home` (or whatever mount point you like) when you log in using your login manager or when logging in on console. The encrypted drive's passphrase should be the same as your linux user's password, so you do not have to type in two different passphrases to login.

**Warning:** *pam_mount* can also unmount your partitions when you close your last session but this does not work out of the box due to the use of `pam_systemd.so` in the pam stack, see [Talk:Pam mount#automatic unmounting and systemd](/index.php/Talk:Pam_mount#automatic_unmounting_and_systemd "Talk:Pam mount").

## Contents

*   [1 General setup](#General_setup)
    *   [1.1 Veracrypt volumes](#Veracrypt_volumes)
*   [2 Login manager configuration](#Login_manager_configuration)
    *   [2.1 SLiM](#SLiM)

## General setup

Install the [pam_mount](https://www.archlinux.org/packages/?name=pam_mount) package.

Edit `/etc/security/pam_mount.conf.xml` as follows:

 `/etc/security/pam_mount.conf.xml` 
```
  <!-- Generic encrypted partition example -->
  <volume user="*USERNAME*" fstype="auto" path="/dev/*sdaX*" mountpoint="/home" options="fsck,noatime" />

  <!-- Example using CIFS -->
  <volume
      fstype="cifs"
      server="*server.example.com*"
      path="*share_name*"
      mountpoint="~/mnt/*share_name*"
      uid="10000-19999"
      options="sec=krb5i,vers=3.0,cruid=%(*USERUID*)"
  />
  <mkmountpoint enable="1" remove="true" />

</pam_mount>
```

Notes:

*   Insert 2 new lines at the end of the file, but *before* the last closing tag, `</pam_mount>`.
*   `*USERNAME*` should be replaced with your user name.
*   `/dev/*sdaX*` should be replaced with the corresponding device or container file.
*   `fstype="auto"` can be changed to any `*type*` that is present in `/usr/bin/mount.*type*`. `"auto"` should work fine in most cases. Use `fstype="crypt"` so that the loop device gets closed at logout for volumes needing it.
*   Add mount options, if needed. Note that `mount.cifs` does not read `smb.conf` and so all options must be specified. In the example, `uid` matches the local `smb.conf` parameter idmap config ... : range = so that *pam_mount* is not called for a Unix only user. Kerberos is indicated by krb5, SMB3.0 is specified because the other end may not support SMB1 which is the default. Signing is enabled with the i on the end of krb5i. See [mount.cifs(8)](https://jlk.fjfi.cvut.cz/arch/manpages/man/mount.cifs.8) for more details.

### Veracrypt volumes

pam_mount doesn't support Veracrypt volumes natively, but there is a [workaround](https://forum.ubuntuusers.de/post/8882122/)

 `/etc/security/pam_mount.conf.xml` 
```
<volume user="*username*" fstype="crypt" path="/dev/disk/by-partuuid/*partition_uuid*" mountpoint="*vcrypt*"/>
<volume user="*username*" fstype="auto" path="/dev/mapper/*vcrypt*" mountpoint="/media/*mountpoint*"/>

<cryptmount>cryptsetup --veracrypt open --type tcrypt %(VOLUME) %(MNTPT)</cryptmount>
<cryptumount>cryptsetup close %(MNTPT)</cryptumount>
```

If you also have LUKS volumes, you can use a different *fstype* for Veracrypt volume instead of `crypt` with `cryptmount/cryptumount`, for example `ncpfs` with `ncpmount/ncpumount`. Just make sure you don't use NCP filesystem.

## Login manager configuration

In general, you have to edit configuration files in `/etc/pam.d` so that *pam_mount* will be called on login. The correct order of entries in each file is important. It is necessary to edit `/etc/pam.d/system-login` as shown below. If you use a [display manager](/index.php/Display_manager "Display manager") make sure its file includes `system-login`. Example configuration files follow, with the added lines in bold. The `pam_succeed` line before `pam_mount` in session skips `pam_mount` (`success=*n*` means skip the next `*n*` lines) if the `systemd-user` service is running through the PAM stack. This avoids double mount attempts and errors relating to dropped privileges.

 `/etc/pam.d/system-login` 
```
#%PAM-1.0

auth       required   pam_tally.so         onerr=succeed file=/var/log/faillog
auth       required   pam_shells.so
auth       requisite  pam_nologin.so
**auth       optional   pam_mount.so**
auth       include    system-auth

account    required   pam_access.so
account    required   pam_nologin.so
account    include    system-auth

**password   optional   pam_mount.so**
password   include    system-auth

session    optional   pam_loginuid.so
session    optional   pam_keyinit.so       force revoke
**session [success=1 default=ignore]  pam_succeed_if.so  service = systemd-user quiet**
**session    optional   pam_mount.so**
session    include    system-auth
session    optional   pam_motd.so          motd=/etc/motd
session    optional   pam_mail.so          dir=/var/spool/mail standard quiet
-session   optional   pam_systemd.so
session    required   pam_env.so
```

### SLiM

For [SLiM](/index.php/SLiM "SLiM"):

 `/etc/pam.d/slim` 
```
auth            requisite       pam_nologin.so
auth            required        pam_env.so
auth            required        pam_unix.so
**auth            optional        pam_mount.so**
account         required        pam_unix.so
password        required        pam_unix.so
**password        optional        pam_mount.so**
session         required        pam_limits.so
session         required        pam_unix.so
**session         optional        pam_mount.so**
session         optional        pam_loginuid.so
session         optional        pam_ck_connector.so

```