# [Solved] pam useflag is "DANGEROUS"?

## Gooberpatrol66

The description for the pam useflag is the following:

https://packages.gentoo.org/useflags/pam

"Add support for PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules)DANGEROUS to arbitrarily flip"

I was wondering what that means, and in what sense pam is "DANGEROUS". I have this flag enabled on all my machines.Last edited by Gooberpatrol66 on Tue Sep 28, 2021 6:43 pm; edited 1 time in total

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## eccerr0r

It's dangerous because it could lock you out of your machine or services if you change it.

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## Hu

Enabled globally is fine, and standard.  Disabled globally is probably fine, if you can stand the loss of functionality, and configure accordingly.  Arbitrarily flipping it on individual packages, especially if you do not then update their configurations, can be dangerous.

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## eccerr0r

Perhaps the warning explanation for the USE flag requires a period to make it more clear?

- Add support for PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules)DANGEROUS to arbitrarily flip 

+ Add support for PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules).  DANGEROUS to arbitrarily flip 

so it doesn't get read as

x Add support for PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) - DANGEROUS (to arbitrarily flip)

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## Gooberpatrol66

I see, thanks.

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