createuser: could not connect to database postgres: FATAL: password authentication failed for user "postgres"

Hi List

This question has already been asked many times, but I didn't find the
answer I'm looking for, so here goes

I use postgresql 8.3 on suse 11.2

I already installed postgresql many times wit postgis support on
debian/ubuntu machines. Never had problems, now I'm installing it for
the first time on suse linux. After installing, I changed the following
in postgresql.conf for a production environment
shared_buffers=128MB
checkpoint_segments=20
maintenance_work_mem=256MB
autovacum=off

And then I restarted postgresql and switched to postgres user, and then:
"createuser gisuser"
After typing password the console gives the error message "createuser:
could not connect to database postgres: FATAL: password authentication
failed for user "postgres"

So I change the user postgres password using the command passwd as root
and I give in the same password and I repeat the createuser command (or
createdb whatever), only to get the same error message

Can someone see what the problem might be?

Best regards
Moataz

On 3/30/2010 8:55 AM, moataz Elmasry wrote:
> Hi List
>
> This question has already been asked many times, but I didn't find the
> answer I'm looking for, so here goes
>
> I use postgresql 8.3 on suse 11.2
>
> I already installed postgresql many times wit postgis support on
> debian/ubuntu machines. Never had problems, now I'm installing it for
> the first time on suse linux. After installing, I changed the following
> in postgresql.conf for a production environment
> shared_buffers=128MB
> checkpoint_segments=20
> maintenance_work_mem=256MB
> autovacum=off
>
> And then I restarted postgresql and switched to postgres user, and then:
> "createuser gisuser"
> After typing password the console gives the error message "createuser:
> could not connect to database postgres: FATAL: password authentication
> failed for user "postgres"
>
> So I change the user postgres password using the command passwd as root
> and I give in the same password and I repeat the createuser command (or
> createdb whatever), only to get the same error message
>
> Can someone see what the problem might be?
>
> Best regards
> Moataz
>

It could be the pg_hba file. Default has local set to trust... maybe
suse changed to it md5 or something... ya know.. to be "secure" :-)

-Andy

Oh boy, thnx a mil. That solved my problem :).
I also found another tip somewhere to change the password not using
passwd but the sql command
alter role myuser encrypted password 'mypassword' and that works also
with md5.
and you are right. suse changed 'trust' to 'md5' and reverting it also
solved the problem

Again, thnx alot
Moataz

Andy Colson wrote:
> On 3/30/2010 8:55 AM, moataz Elmasry wrote:
>
>> Hi List
>>
>> This question has already been asked many times, but I didn't find the
>> answer I'm looking for, so here goes
>>
>> I use postgresql 8.3 on suse 11.2
>>
>> I already installed postgresql many times wit postgis support on
>> debian/ubuntu machines. Never had problems, now I'm installing it for
>> the first time on suse linux. After installing, I changed the following
>> in postgresql.conf for a production environment
>> shared_buffers=128MB
>> checkpoint_segments=20
>> maintenance_work_mem=256MB
>> autovacum=off
>>
>> And then I restarted postgresql and switched to postgres user, and then:
>> "createuser gisuser"
>> After typing password the console gives the error message "createuser:
>> could not connect to database postgres: FATAL: password authentication
>> failed for user "postgres"
>>
>> So I change the user postgres password using the command passwd as root
>> and I give in the same password and I repeat the createuser command (or
>> createdb whatever), only to get the same error message
>>
>> Can someone see what the problem might be?
>>
>> Best regards
>> Moataz
>>
>>
>
> It could be the pg_hba file. Default has local set to trust... maybe
> suse changed to it md5 or something... ya know.. to be "secure" :-)
>
> -Andy
>

Oh boy, thnx a mil. That solved my problem :) .
I also found another tip somewhere to change the password not using
passwd but the sql command
alter role myuser encrypted password 'mypassword' and that works also
with md5.
and you are right. suse changed 'trust' to 'md5' and reverting it also
solved the problem

Again, thnx alot
Moataz

Andy Colson wrote:
> On 3/30/2010 8:55 AM, moataz Elmasry wrote:
>> Hi List
>>
>> This question has already been asked many times, but I didn't find the
>> answer I'm looking for, so here goes
>>
>> I use postgresql 8.3 on suse 11.2
>>
>> I already installed postgresql many times wit postgis support on
>> debian/ubuntu machines. Never had problems, now I'm installing it for
>> the first time on suse linux. After installing, I changed the following
>> in postgresql.conf for a production environment
>> shared_buffers=128MB
>> checkpoint_segments=20
>> maintenance_work_mem=256MB
>> autovacum=off
>>
>> And then I restarted postgresql and switched to postgres user, and then:
>> "createuser gisuser"
>> After typing password the console gives the error message "createuser:
>> could not connect to database postgres: FATAL: password authentication
>> failed for user "postgres"
>>
>> So I change the user postgres password using the command passwd as root
>> and I give in the same password and I repeat the createuser command (or
>> createdb whatever), only to get the same error message
>>
>> Can someone see what the problem might be?
>>
>> Best regards
>> Moataz
>>
>
> It could be the pg_hba file. Default has local set to trust... maybe
> suse changed to it md5 or something... ya know.. to be "secure" :-)
>
> -Andy
>