Thread: Access by 1000 users to view postgres tables without recreating accounts?
Access by 1000 users to view postgres tables without recreating accounts?
From
"Jameson C. Burt"
Date:
Can one permit numerous users to view Postgresql tables (subject to per table permissions, of course), yet not need to recreate password entries for Postgresql's mostly duplication of /etc/passwd. That is, given one already administers 1000 users, can one keep the extra administration time for 1000 viewers of Postgresql tables low? It seems reasonable that any Postgresql table with access for everyone should be readable by anyone without postgres acting as a gatekeeper prohibiting most people even initial Postgresql access. I do not feel it is reasonable that I should need to recreate password information for 1000 users to satisfy Postgresql when the /etc/passwd information of all 1000 users is already available at the system level (even though this could be automated). I am willing to spend effort giving permissions for people who will create/alter Postgresql tables, but I do not feel I ought to spend any effort accomodating system user files into Postgresql when people will only view (read) Postgresql tables. Yes, I could obliterate security, as I currently do, with host all 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 trust but this is the other unacceptable extreme. I am left with two choices, 1. Go to enormous incessant work accomodating 1000 users. 2. Allow 1000 users to obliterate each others Postgresql tables. Did I miss a commonly used trick to accomodate 1000 users viewing Postgresql tables? In most server/client arrangements as for sound or webpages, the server's main purpose is to provide needed permissions; but in the Postgresql daemon, I see no lessening of needed user permissions! The postgres daemon seems to increase access speed, but does not seem to make user access easier on either the administrator or the user. Perhaps people use a second server for such situations; eg, an apache server using a username acceptable to Postgresql (though one would hope for some commandline access). I have merely tried psql access. For 2 years, I have read hundreds of pages on PostgreSQL, including official html and postscript documents, books like "PostgreSQL: Introduction and Concepts" and "Practical PostgreSQL", and email archives. While these documents have taught me much about using PostgreSQL, I have not gone beyond treating PostgreSQL as more than a plaything until I can get other users to view Postgresql tables without exhorbitant time administering users. Any suggestions? Probably irrelevant conditions: I run Debian Linux 3.0 I run Postgresql 7.2.1 -- Jameson C. Burt, NJ9L Fairfax, Virginia, USA jameson@coost.com http://www.coost.com (202) 690-0380 (work)
"Jameson C. Burt" <jameson@coost.com> writes: > Can one permit numerous users to view Postgresql tables (subject to per > table permissions, of course), yet not need to recreate password entries > for Postgresql's mostly duplication of /etc/passwd. Let them all log in as a "guest" postgres user. There is no good reason to insist on a one-to-one correspondence of PG user identities and Unix user identities. regards, tom lane