---
title: 'Tutorial: How to Add Users to Your Access Server Using PAM'
canonical: https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--pam-authentication-users/
product: Access Server Docs
description: Add VPN users for Access Server using pluggable authentication modules (PAM) on your Linux OS.
---

# Tutorial: How to Add Users to Your Access Server Using PAM

## Overview

You can configure user credential authentication for Access Server with the system that suits your needs. Access Server supports PAM, LDAP, RADIUS, SAML, and local authentication. For more details, refer to the [authentication system topic](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/user-authentication-system.md).

This topic provides an overview of using pluggable authentication modules (PAM) to authenticate Access Server users.

## Prerequisites

- An installed Access Server.
- Console access and the ability to get root access.

## Step 1: Connect to your server

You manage PAM authentication on the server, typically using the local user accounts in the operating system where you’ve installed Access Server. You can also use an authentication system on a separate server, as long as it’s reachable by Access Server.

1. Connect to your server.
   - This can be a direct connection, using a terminal or bash, or using an app like [PuTTY](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--connect-with-putty.md).
2. Connect as a root user or gain root privileges with sudo.

## Step 2: Add new users

1. Switch to the scripts directory:

   ```
   cd /usr/local/openvpn_as/scripts/
   ```
2. Add a user:

   ```
   adduser <USERNAME>
   ./sacli --user <USERNAME> --key "type" --value "user_connect" UserPropPut
   ```
3. Set the new user’s password or enter the user information as prompted (depending on your OS version):

   ```
   passwd <USERNAME>
   ```
4. Repeat the commands to add more users.

For additional command-line tips for PAM, refer to [Tutorial: Manage the PAM Authentication Method from the Command-line Interface](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--pam-command-line.md).

## Step 3: Enable PAM for Access Server authentication

You have two options for enabling PAM as the Access Server authentication: Using the Admin Web UI or the command-line interface. We describe each in the sections below.

> **Note**
>
> In older Access Server versions, you could enable PAM from **Authentication \> PAM**, but this page no longer exists in the Admin Web UI. We always recommend using the most [updated Access Server version](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--update-access-server.md).

### Enable PAM in the Admin Web UI

You can enable PAM authentication using a web-based interface through the Admin Web UI for your Access Server. You can enable it as the default (global) authentication, for a group, or for individual users.

#### Enable PAM as the default authentication

1. Sign in to the Admin Web UI.
2. Click **Authentication \> Settings**.
3. Under **Default Authentication System**, click **PAM**.
4. Select **Save Settings** and **Update Running Server**.
   - Access Server now uses PAM for authentication.

#### Enable PAM as the group authentication

1. Sign in to the Admin Web UI.
2. Click **User Management \> Group Permissions**.
3. Enter a group name or find the desired group from the existing list.
4. Click **More Settings**.
5. Click **PAM** for **Configure user authentication method**.
6. Select **Save Settings** and **Update Running Server**.
   - Users assigned to that group (in the **User Permissions** page) now use PAM for authentication.

#### Enable PAM as a user's authentication

1. Sign in to the Admin Web UI.
2. Click **User Management \> User Permissions**.
3. Find the user as entered in the server's user directory.
4. Click **More Settings**.
5. Click **PAM** for **Configure user authentication method**.
6. Select **Save Settings** and **Update Running Server**.
   - That user now uses PAM for authentication.

### Enable PAM in the command-line interface

You can also manage PAM authentication with the commands referred to in this tutorial: [Tutorial: Manage the PAM Authentication Method from the Command-line Interface](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--pam-command-line.md).

## Step 4: Set specific user permissions

After creating your users on your server, you can grant them specific permissions from the Admin Web UI.

You can grant administrative privileges, allow auto-login profiles, etc:

1. Sign in to the Admin Web UI.
2. Click **User Management \> User Permissions**.
3. From the **User Permissions** page, grant or revoke permissions for each user.

---

Prev: [PAM Authentication](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/pam.md)
Next: [Tutorial: Manage the PAM Authentication Method from the Command-line Interface](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--pam-command-line.md)
Index: https://openvpn.net/as-docs/llms.txt