Re: [GENERAL] pam-linux, /etc/shadow : HOW-TO - Mailing list pgsql-advocacy

Hi,

could you please make a smal writeup on this so that it canbe posted on
techdocs. A small HOWTO.. That would help a lot of people.

 Shridhar

On 20 May 2003 at 19:13, ahoward wrote:

>
> note: i'm no sysad, nor do i even pretend to understand pam, the linux kernel,
> or postgresql, but this setup is a safe, working, postgresql/linux/pam setup.
>
> 0) configure postgresql for pam, for example
>
>       [root@omega tmp]# grep pam /usr/local/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf
>       host    all         all          137.75.0.0        255.255.0.0       pam
>
> 1) create a /etc/pam.d/postgresql entry, here's how i did mine
>
>       [root@omega tmp]# cp /etc/pam.d/passwd /etc/pam.d/postgresql
>
>   i don't know if it's the best setup, but it works!  mine looks like this
>
>       [root@omega tmp]# cat /etc/pam.d/postgresql
>       #%PAM-1.0
>       auth       required     /lib/security/pam_stack.so service=system-auth
>       account    required     /lib/security/pam_stack.so service=system-auth
>       password   required     /lib/security/pam_stack.so service=system-auth
>
> 2) create a shadow group which will be used for user's needing read-access to
> /etc/shadow, and add postgres (or whatever user the postmaster runs as) to
> this entry.  i used vi to add this entry to /etc/group
>
>       [root@omega tmp]# grep shadow /etc/group
>       shadow:*:4002:root,postgres
>
>   root probably does not *need* to be added.
>
>   note the '*' v.s. an 'x' in the password field.  if you place an 'x' there
>   you will also have to set up /etc/gshadow - i did not want to do this.  if
>   you don't set up /etc/gshadow pam will NOT work if an 'x' is in the password
>   field - at least with my linux system.
>
> 3) make /etc/shadow group shadow
>
>       [root@omega tmp]# chgrp shadow /etc/shadow
>
> 4) chmod 0440 /etc/shadow
>
>
> essentially, pam will not work with postgres since the daemon needs at some
> point, no matter how many library calls deep, to open and read /etc/shadow
> (assuming this is how your system is using pam).  you must have some solution
> which allows postgres, but not everyone, to read /etc/shadow.  others probably
> exist.
>
> -a
>
> --
>   ====================================
>   | Ara Howard
>   | NOAA Forecast Systems Laboratory
>   | Information and Technology Services
>   | Data Systems Group
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>   | Boulder, CO 80305-3328
>   | Email: ara.t.howard@fsl.noaa.gov
>   | Phone:  303-497-7238
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