Thread: BUG #2646: Installation Failed due to Permissions

The following bug has been logged online:

Bug reference:      2646
Logged by:          Willa Wei
Email address:      wwei@mda.ca
PostgreSQL version: 8.1.4
Operating system:   Windows XP Pro
Description:        Installation Failed due to Permissions
Details:

Dear support,

I tried to install PostgreSQL version 8.1.4 on a cooperate computer and it
failed all the time no matter what I did. As corporate security police, each
of us has given one corporate network user admin account and regular user
account. The PostgresSQL installer also created a service account on local
machine. I know we supposed not to use admin account. So, I tried to install
the software using the two non-admin accounts and I got different results:

1. Login as postgres service account

a. Install location by default (under program files) and C:/. I checked the
permissions on those directories and the service account has permission to
access those directories.

The error message said: Failed to set permission on the installed files.
Please see the logfile in 'C:/<install_path>\8.1\tmp\pgpem.log'.

b. When I tried to open the 8.1 folder, the Windows gave me an error: Access
is denied.

I opened the folder's properties it shown that the permissions for the
service account/longin user were unchecked.

c. I checked all the boxes. When I opened the folder again, I could see all
the folders. But, in \tmp directory I only see the log file and it said that
the directory <path>\8.1 access is denied.

d. Delete the installation folder and create a new one and make sure that
the service account/local user group has permissions to access it.

e. When I tried to install the software again, it gave me the same error and
the folder \8.1 became non-accessible again.

2. Login as corporate network regular account

a. Same as the login as service account.

The error message said: Failed to create process for initdb: Access is
denied.

b. I opened the installation folder \8.1 and I could see all the folders. In
the tmp directory I can see initdb.bat and initdb.pwd files.

When I checked the permission information for that folder, it shown as:

Type    Name            Permission        Inherited from        Apply to
Deny    service account    Special        not inherited            this
folder, subfolders ...
Allow    service account    Read&Execute    not inherited    this folder,
subfolders...
Allow    users group          Full Control         parent folder    this
folder, subfolders...
...


3. I unplug the network connection and login again with above cases. The
installer behaved the same.


If this is not a bug, then what What kind of permission policy does the
installer required? Is there anybody else who has the similar problem? How
can we work around this problem?

Thanks in advance for you help?


Willa Wei

Senior Software Engineer, Research & Development
MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Ltd.
13800 Commerce Parkway
Richmond, B.C., V6V 2J3
e-mail: wwe@mdacorporation.com
T: 604-278-3411; F: 604-231-2753
www.mda.ca

> Bug reference:      2646
> Logged by:          Willa Wei
> Email address:      wwei@mda.ca
> PostgreSQL version: 8.1.4
> Operating system:   Windows XP Pro
> Description:        Installation Failed due to Permissions
> Details:=20
>=20
> Dear support,
>=20
> I tried to install PostgreSQL version 8.1.4 on a cooperate=20
> computer and it failed all the time no matter what I did. As=20
> corporate security police, each of us has given one corporate=20
> network user admin account and regular user account. The=20
> PostgresSQL installer also created a service account on local=20
> machine. I know we supposed not to use admin account. So, I=20
> tried to install the software using the two non-admin=20
> accounts and I got different results:

You must install *from* an admin account. The account used by the
PostgreSQL *service* must *not* be an admin account. This can either be
a pre-existing account, or the installer can create it for you. If your
corporate policy dictates that you can't create other local accounts,
you can just use your standard non-admin account.

> 1. Login as postgres service account

This is where you go wrong. You must log in as a user that is admin.

> 3. I unplug the network connection and login again with above=20
> cases. The installer behaved the same.

Yeah, that should make no difference.


> If this is not a bug, then what What kind of permission=20
> policy does the installer required? Is there anybody else who=20
> has the similar problem? How can we work around this problem?


There is also a FAQ notice on what permissions you need to grant in the
filesystem. Often the default ones will work just fine, but it's
possible that your corporate group policies have changed this in some
way. (Offline ATM, so I can't dig out the link for you. But it's on
www.postgresql.org/docs, under FAQs)


//Magnus