Re: Bug in createlang?

> Richard Huxton <dev(at)archonet(dot)com> writes:
> > "Thomas T. Veldhouse" wrote:
> >> Why does it ask 4 times?
>
> > createlang is just a script - it basically runs "/path/to/psql $QUERY" -
> > each query connects a separate time.
>
> Note that running a setup that requires password auth for the DBA will
> also be a major pain in the rear when running pg_dumpall: one password
> prompt per database, IIRC. We have other scripts that make more than
> one database connection, too.

This brings up an issue I am concerned about. Right now, when we
install the database with initdb, we basically are wide-opened to any
local user who wants to connect to the database as superuser. In fact,
someone could easily install a function in template1 that bypasses
database security so even after you put a password on the superuser and
others, they could bypass security.

Do people have a good solution for this problem? Should be be
installing a password for the super-user at initdb time? I see initdb
has this option:

--pwprompt

-W Makes initdb prompt for a password of the database
superuser. If you don't plan on using password
authentication, this is not important. Otherwise
you won't be able to use password authentication
until you have a password set up.

Do people know they should be using this initdb option if they don't
trust their local users? I see no mention of it in the INSTALL file.

I see it does:

# set up password
if [ "$PwPrompt" ]; then
$ECHO_N "Enter new superuser password: "$ECHO_C
stty -echo > /dev/null 2>&1
read FirstPw
stty echo > /dev/null 2>&1
echo
$ECHO_N "Enter it again: "$ECHO_C
stty -echo > /dev/null 2>&1
read SecondPw
stty echo > /dev/null 2>&1
echo
if [ "$FirstPw" != "$SecondPw" ]; then
echo "Passwords didn't match." 1>&2
exit_nicely
fi
echo "ALTER USER \"$POSTGRES_SUPERUSERNAME\" WITH PASSWORD '$FirstPw'" \
| "$PGPATH"/postgres $PGSQL_OPT template1 > /dev/null || exit_nicely
if [ ! -f $PGDATA/global/pg_pwd ]; then
echo "The password file wasn't generated. Please report this problem." 1>&2
exit_nicely
fi

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Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us
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