Thread: PostgreSQL - How to login with my Linux user account

I'd like to log into my newly installed PostgreSQL [ PostgreSQL 12.15 (Debian 12.15-1.pgdg120+1) ] using my linux account.
In trying to do that this web page suggest that I enter :

psql -d mydb -U myuser -W

However, that command requires a database_name (mydb), and PosgreSQL 12.15 being so freshly installed does not yet 
have any database created by me.

How would you suggest I circumvent this challenge?

Mind you that, using the postgres account I have created other accounts.


Role name |                         Attributes                         | Member of 
-----------+------------------------------------------------------------+----------- chispa    | Superuser                                                  | {} pedro     | Superuser                                                  | {} postgres  | Superuser, Create role, Create DB, Replication, Bypass RLS | {}

Thanks in advance.

On 7/27/23 17:19, Amn Ojee Uw wrote:
> I'd like to log into my newly installed PostgreSQL [ PostgreSQL 12.15 
> (Debian 12.15-1.pgdg120+1) ] using my linux account.
> In trying to do that this web page 
> <https://alvinalexander.com/blog/post/postgresql/log-in-postgresql-database/>suggest that I enter :
> 
> psql -d mydb -U myuser -W
> 
> However, that command requires a database_name (mydb), and PosgreSQL 12.15 being so freshly installed does not yet
> have any database created by me.
> 
> How would you suggest I circumvent this challenge?

The tutorial

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/tutorial.html

would be a good place to start.

 From said tutorial:

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/tutorial-createdb.html

createdb mydb


Which in turn leads to:

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/app-createdb.html

> 
> Mind you that, using the postgres account I have created other accounts.
> 
> 
> Role name |                         Attributes                         | Member of
> -----------+------------------------------------------------------------+-----------
>   chispa    | Superuser                                                  | {}
>   pedro     | Superuser                                                  | {}
>   postgres  | Superuser, Create role, Create DB, Replication, Bypass RLS | {}
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 

-- 
Adrian Klaver
adrian.klaver@aklaver.com

First of all, my gratitude to Adrian and David for taking the time to reply to my call for help; a 1k  thanks to you kids.

Having stated the above, PostgreSQL provides a default database namely 'postgres'. Taking advantage of this service, I have change the 'psql' statement to 'psql -d postgres -U my_linux_user_name -W', I then entered my Linux account login password and got this error messages :
$ psql -d postgres -U my_linux_user_name -W
Password:
psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication failed for user "my_linux_user_name"

I also, using 'postres' account, have created another user account, chispa, who is a superuser; when trying to login as 'chispa' and using the above statement (psql -d postgres -U chispa -W ) PostgreSQL throws the same error message.

What am I doing wrong?
Is there a webpage that explains how to login to PostgreSQL as other than 'postgres'?

Thanks in advance.

psql -d mydb -U myuser -W

On 7/28/23 09:00, Amn Ojee Uw wrote:

First of all, my gratitude to Adrian and David for taking the time to reply to my call for help; a 1k  thanks to you kids.

Having stated the above, PostgreSQL provides a default database namely 'postgres'. Taking advantage of this service, I have change the 'psql' statement to 'psql -d postgres -U my_linux_user_name -W', I then entered my Linux account login password and got this error messages :
$ psql -d postgres -U my_linux_user_name -W
Password:
psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication failed for user "my_linux_user_name"

I also, using 'postres' account, have created another user account, chispa, who is a superuser; when trying to login as 'chispa' and using the above statement (psql -d postgres -U chispa -W ) PostgreSQL throws the same error message.

What am I doing wrong?
Is there a webpage that explains how to login to PostgreSQL as other than 'postgres'?

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/12/auth-pg-hba-conf.html

You want peer authentication to be able to connect to postgresql as my_linux_username.

On 7/28/23 07:00, Amn Ojee Uw wrote:
> First of all, my gratitude to Adrian and David for taking the time to 
> reply to my call for help; a 1k  thanks to you kids.
> 
> Having stated the above, PostgreSQL provides a default database namely 
> 'postgres'. Taking advantage of this service, I have change the 'psql' 
> statement to 'psql -d postgres -U my_linux_user_name -W', I then entered 
> my Linux account login password and got this error messages :
> /*$ psql -d postgres -U my_linux_user_name -W *//*
> *//*Password: *//*
> *//*psql: error: connection to server on socket 
> "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication 
> failed for user "my_linux_user_name"*/

1) See

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/auth-peer.html

2) What OS are you on and how did you install Postgres?

3) Try

sudo -u postgres psql postgres


4) Provide the content of pg_hba.conf that starts at the line below

# TYPE  DATABASE        USER            ADDRESS                 METHOD

...


> 
> I also, using 'postres' account, have created another user account, 
> chispa, who is a superuser; when trying to login as 'chispa' and using 
> the above statement (/*psql -d postgres -U chispa -W *//*)*/ PostgreSQL 
> throws the same error message.
> /**/
> 
> What am I doing wrong?
> Is there a webpage that explains how to login to PostgreSQL as other 
> than 'postgres'?
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> On 7/27/23 8:19 p.m., Amn Ojee Uw wrote:
>> psql -d mydb -U myuser -W

-- 
Adrian Klaver
adrian.klaver@aklaver.com