Thread: Peer authentication failed ???

Hi there.

Using the 'sudo -u postgres psql' command I created a group and two accounts in the group, I also created a database for one of the accounts. Now, I'd like to login PG-15, using my new account and connecting to my new database, but PG-15 complains. See the example below, I think it is clear than my English.

CREATE ROLE my_group; // Create a group
CREATE ROLE my_group_admin LOGIN PASSWORD 'AdminPassword' CREATEDB CREATEROLE; // Create admin
CREATE ROLE my_group_worker LOGIN PASSWORD 'WorkerPassword' CREATEDB; // Create Worker
GRANT my_group TO my_group_admin WITH INHERIT TRUE;
GRANT my_group TO my_group_worker WITH INHERIT TRUE;

CREATE DATABASE my_group_db WITH OWNER my_group_worker;
\q
psql -U my_group_worker -d my_group_db

psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication failed for user "my_group_worker"

*** What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Using the 'sudo -u postgres psql' command

psql -U my_group_worker -d my_group_db

psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication failed for user "my_group_worker"

*** What am I doing wrong?

On 2023-10-03 05:55:51 -0400, Amn Ojee Uw wrote:
> psql -U my_group_worker -d my_group_db
>
> psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"
> failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication failed for user "my_group_worker"
>
> *** What am I doing wrong?

PostgreSQL uses the first matching rule from pg_hba.conf. Presumably
(because that's the default on Debian/Ubuntu) you have it set up to use
peer authentication on the unix socket and password authentication
(scram or md5) on everything else.

You are connecting via the Unix socket (/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432),
so the server will attempt peer authentication and nothing else. To get
it to attempt password authentication connect via a tcp socket:

psql -U my_group_worker -h localhost -d my_group_db

(More conveniently set up ident authentication for your users, then you
don't need a password.)

        hp

--
   _  | Peter J. Holzer    | Story must make more sense than reality.
|_|_) |                    |
| |   | hjp@hjp.at         |    -- Charles Stross, "Creative writing
__/   | http://www.hjp.at/ |       challenge!"

Yes!
Thanks so much it worked!

On 10/3/23 9:37 a.m., Peter J. Holzer wrote:
> On 2023-10-03 05:55:51 -0400, Amn Ojee Uw wrote:
>> psql -U my_group_worker -d my_group_db
>>
>> psql: error: connection to server on socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"
>> failed: FATAL:  Peer authentication failed for user "my_group_worker"
>>
>> *** What am I doing wrong?
> PostgreSQL uses the first matching rule from pg_hba.conf. Presumably
> (because that's the default on Debian/Ubuntu) you have it set up to use
> peer authentication on the unix socket and password authentication
> (scram or md5) on everything else.
>
> You are connecting via the Unix socket (/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432),
> so the server will attempt peer authentication and nothing else. To get
> it to attempt password authentication connect via a tcp socket:
>
> psql -U my_group_worker -h localhost -d my_group_db
>
> (More conveniently set up ident authentication for your users, then you
> don't need a password.)
>
>          hp
>