pg_passwd - Manipulate a text password file


SYNOPSIS

       pg_passwd filename


DESCRIPTION

       pg_passwd  is  a  tool  to manipulate a flat text password
       file for the purpose of using that file to control  client
       authentication  of the PostgreSQL server. More information
       about setting up  this  authentication  mechanism  can  be
       found in the Administrator's Guide.

       The  form  of  a text password file is one entry per line;
       the fields of each entry  are  separated  by  colons.  The
       first  field  is  the  user  name, the second field is the
       encrypted password. Other fields  are  ignored  (to  allow
       password  files to be shared between applications that use
       similar formats). The functionality of the pg_passwd util­
       ity  is  to  enable a user to interactively add entries to
       such a file, to alter passwords of existing  entries,  and
       to take care of encrypting the passwords.

       Supply  the  name  of the password file as argument to the
       pg_passwd command. To be of use for client  authentication
       the  file  needs to be located in the server's data direc­
       tory, and the base name of the file needs to be  specified
       in the pg_hba.conf access control file.

       $ pg_passwd /usr/local/pgsql/data/passwords
       File "/usr/local/pgsql/data/passwords" does not exist.  Create? (y/n): y
       Username: guest
       Password:
       Re-enter password:

       where the Password: and Re-enter password: prompts require
       the same password input which is not displayed on the ter­
       minal.  Note  that the password is limited to eight useful
       characters  by  restrictions  of  the  standard   crypt(3)
       library routine.

       The original password file is renamed to passwords.bk.

       To  make  use  of  this password file, put a line like the
       following in pg_hba.conf:

       host  mydb     133.65.96.250   255.255.255.255 password passwords

       which would  allow  access  to  database  mydb  from  host
       133.65.96.250  using the passwords listed in the passwords
       file (and only to the users listed in that file).

              Note: It is also useful to have entries in a  pass­
              word  file  with  an empty password field. (This is

              cannot  be  managed  by pg_passwd, but it is always
              possible to edit password files manually.


SEE ALSO

       PostgreSQL Administrator's Guide


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