Thread: Re: [COMMITTERS] pgsql: Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the
Re: [COMMITTERS] pgsql: Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the
From
Stephen Frost
Date:
* Tom Lane (tgl@postgresql.org) wrote:
> Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the server under
> Windows (if newer than NT4, else works same as before).
I don't suppose we could consider doing this for Unix-based systems too?
I think it'd certainly be nice. It's also how quite a few other Unix
daemons operate.
Thanks,
Stephen
Re: [COMMITTERS] pgsql: Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the
From
Tom Lane
Date:
Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net> writes:
> * Tom Lane (tgl@postgresql.org) wrote:
>> Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the server under
>> Windows (if newer than NT4, else works same as before).
> I don't suppose we could consider doing this for Unix-based systems too?
> I think it'd certainly be nice. It's also how quite a few other Unix
> daemons operate.
Why should we try to duplicate the functionality of "su"? And we would
have to largely duplicate it, not just change process UID.
I don't see the need for it anyway. The only reason this patch went in
at all is to compensate for the general level of ignorance of Windows
users...
regards, tom lane
Tom Lane wrote: > Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net> writes: > > * Tom Lane (tgl@postgresql.org) wrote: > >> Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the server under > >> Windows (if newer than NT4, else works same as before). > > > I don't suppose we could consider doing this for Unix-based systems too? > > I think it'd certainly be nice. It's also how quite a few other Unix > > daemons operate. > > Why should we try to duplicate the functionality of "su"? And we would > have to largely duplicate it, not just change process UID. > > I don't see the need for it anyway. The only reason this patch went in > at all is to compensate for the general level of ignorance of Windows > users... But other Unix daemons do it, so why not us? -- Bruce Momjian | http://candle.pha.pa.us pgman@candle.pha.pa.us | (610) 359-1001+ If your life is a hard drive, | 13 Roberts Road + Christ can be your backup. | Newtown Square, Pennsylvania19073
Bruce Momjian wrote: >Tom Lane wrote: > > >>Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net> writes: >> >> >>>* Tom Lane (tgl@postgresql.org) wrote: >>> >>> >>>>Enable pg_ctl to give up admin privileges when starting the server under >>>>Windows (if newer than NT4, else works same as before). >>>> >>>> >>>I don't suppose we could consider doing this for Unix-based systems too? >>>I think it'd certainly be nice. It's also how quite a few other Unix >>>daemons operate. >>> >>> >>Why should we try to duplicate the functionality of "su"? And we would >>have to largely duplicate it, not just change process UID. >> >>I don't see the need for it anyway. The only reason this patch went in >>at all is to compensate for the general level of ignorance of Windows >>users... >> >> > >But other Unix daemons do it, so why not us? > > Other Unix daemons typically do it when they need to do something at startup like open a privileged port to listen on, or if they need to be able to become other users. Postgres doesn't have anything that requires root privilege in normal operation. How many times have security holes been inadvertantly opened because of this sort of privilege escalation? Windows is different in a number of ways, including the high inconvenience factor involved in running as a non-power user, and the fact that Windows servers are typically single-purpose. cheers andrew