password for postgres

Question

In the short version of postgres' installing it tell me to do the following

./configure
gmake
su
gmake install
adduser postgres
mkdir /usr/local/pgsql/data
chown postgres /usr/local/pgsql/data
su - postgres
/usr/local/pgsql/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data
/usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D /usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
/usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb test
/usr/local/pgsql/bin/psql test

Now I created the postgres user, but it sometimes asks for my credentials for that user. Is there a default password for the postgres user? Why do I even need to make another user?

I see a close, should I migrate this to sever fault or super user? — Doboy
– Doboy, Commented Mar 23, 2012 at 6:14

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-13 12:13:44Z

49

What's the default superuser username/password for postgres after a new install?:

CAUTION The answer about changing the UNIX password for "postgres" through "$ sudo passwd postgres" is not preferred, and can even be DANGEROUS!

This is why: By default, the UNIX account "postgres" is locked, which means it cannot be logged in using a password. If you use "sudo passwd postgres", the account is immediately unlocked. Worse, if you set the password to something weak, like "postgres", then you are exposed to a great security danger. For example, there are a number of bots out there trying the username/password combo "postgres/postgres" to log into your UNIX system.

What you should do is follow Chris James's answer:
sudo -u postgres psql postgres

# \password postgres

Enter new password: 
To explain it a little bit...

edited Apr 13, 2017 at 12:13

CommunityBot

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answered Mar 23, 2012 at 6:17

Doboy

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6 Comments

hughes Over a year ago

tl;dr sudo passwd postgres to set the password

hlovdal Over a year ago

By all means read the linked answer, sudo passwd postgres should not be used, instead run sudo -u postgres psql postgres and enter \password postgres.

rikkitikkitumbo Over a year ago

not working for me... I get this: "postgres is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported."

Gershom Maes Over a year ago

Question: what's wrong with sudo passwd postgres?

Hyetigran Over a year ago

@rikkitikkitumbo ran into same issue just now. Enter exit to switch from postgres to root user.

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MAbraham1 · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-02 15:29:48Z

2

Set the default password in the .pgpass file. If the server does not save the password, it is because it is not set in the .pgpass file, or the permissions are open and the file is therefore ignored.

1 Comment

MAbraham1 Over a year ago

@juvchan, I hadn't tried it on Windows 8.1. Glad it worked for you!

BITWISE · Accepted Answer · 2021-12-14 17:32:18Z

2

Sudoers Error

This answer addresses how to actually change the password. If you followed the directions and received the following confusing error:

postgres is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.

Then you are very likely not at root level. I received this error and was really confused. Turns out I was logged into postgres rather than the root user. What solved that problem for me was using the following command to log out:

exit

You will then be back at the root where you can do sudo-level actions again. Keep in mind this same solution also works for other common issues that arise when you don't know the postgres password.

answered Dec 14, 2021 at 17:32

BITWISE

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