Friday, September 16, 2011

How to restrict linux users logging from shell except root?

Sometimes you have to disable the login to all users,except root
e.g. when you have to do a backup, you have to use pam_nologin.so

1) Edit the pam file for the service you want to control, in this example i modify ssh pam control file, located in /etc/pam.d/sshd

Add this line
account required pam_nologin.so


2) touch /etc/nologin

This should disable the login from ssh. If you want to disable the login from terminal, modify the /etc/pam.d/login file.

3) To re-enable the login just remove /etc/nologin