Is there any reason why programs like this could not be given a simple properties file which contains the username and password. This file could then be passed on the command line, but nobody (other than, say, root, or postgres) would have access to it at all. I've seen a number of systems use this type of solution, and although it appears superficially useless (am I opening myself to be shot down or what ;-), the security of the file system creates (as far as I can see) reasonable safety.
Just my €25...
MikeA
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Thierry Besancon [mailto:Thierry.Besancon@prism.uvsq.fr]
>> Sent: 20 March 2001 08:34
>> To: Tim Frank
>> Cc: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
>> Subject: Re: [ADMIN] Backing up postgresql databases
>>
>>
>> Dixit Tim Frank <tfrank@registrar.uoguelph.ca> (le Tue, 20
>> Mar 2001 00:14:11 GMT) :
>>
>> » Have your shell script do
>> »
>> » export PGUSER=username
>> » export PGPASSWORD=password
>> »
>> » before you run pg_dumpall in the same script. The
>> user/pass would most
>> » likely have to be a superuser to have access to all
>> databases (this is
>> » also not guaranteed depending on your pg_hba.conf). Make
>> the script
>> » read/execute by root but not by anyone else and it will
>> help a tiny bit
>> » with security.
>>
>> Using something like "ps -e" shows the environment variables so it is
>> as unsecure as giving the password on the commande line.
>>
>> Thierry
>>
>> ---------------------------(end of
>> broadcast)---------------------------
>> TIP 6: Have you searched our list archives?
>>
>> http://www.postgresql.org/search.mpl
>>
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