Re: PgSQL not as Administrator - probs on windows

Hello,

starting with one of the recent nightly builds, PostgreSQL 7.5devel does
not start any more if the user has Administrator privileges.

I know that this is for security and same as on Unix....

BUT:

it is MUCH MORE common to have Administrator-Privileges when running a
Windows-System than when running Unix. BECAUSE a lot of programs DO NOT
WORK if you do not have these privileges.

Especially home-users usually have their default user working as
Administrator.

I recommend that we add an option to "do not check for Administrator, I
know I do something dangerous" for windows; at least when starting
Postgresql from the command line.

Harald

On 1 Jul 2004 at 6:55, Harald Armin Massa wrote:

> it is MUCH MORE common to have Administrator-Privileges when running a
> Windows-System than when running Unix. BECAUSE a lot of programs DO NOT
> WORK if you do not have these privileges.
>
> Especially home-users usually have their default user working as
> Administrator.
>
> I recommend that we add an option to "do not check for Administrator, I
> know I do something dangerous" for windows; at least when starting
> Postgresql from the command line.
>

I agree. Dictating what the user can or can't do on their own machine is not nice. If
the user wants to format his hard disk then let him. Warn him a lot, but still let him.
As long as the user is made aware of the consequences then that is as far as it
should go.

Unfortunately I can't run my normal development user without admin privileges as
quite a bit of the testing needs privileges for registry, files, debugging etc..

In the mean time you can use the runas command (at least in XP)

i.e

C:\pgsql> runas /user:gary\test "postmaster -i"

or whatever...

Cheers,
Gary.

On 01.07.2004 06:55 Harald Armin Massa wrote:

>
> it is MUCH MORE common to have Administrator-Privileges when running a
> Windows-System than when running Unix. BECAUSE a lot of programs DO NOT
> WORK if you do not have these privileges.
>
> Especially home-users usually have their default user working as
> Administrator.
>
> I recommend that we add an option to "do not check for Administrator, I
> know I do something dangerous" for windows; at least when starting
> Postgresql from the command line.
>

I second that. People trying out PG on their windows box, might easily be taken
aback, if the server does not run with Admin privileges. I for one would not
even think that this might be the reason (as bad Windows programs tend to work
the other way :)

Regards
Thomas

Having able to run an apps server as a regular user has its advantage. For
one, it it is messed up, only that user(and other filesystems where that
particular user has read-write access) is affected.

It kind of scarry running opensource apps on root or administrator
priviledge where there are no other means to control its behaviour since
root/administrator has full access of he whole systems or enterprise.

Just my 2 cents.

"Thomas Kellerer" <spam_eater(at)gmx(dot)net> wrote in message
news:cc0fb8$qvs$1(at)sea(dot)gmane(dot)org(dot)(dot)(dot)
> On 01.07.2004 06:55 Harald Armin Massa wrote:
>
> >
> > it is MUCH MORE common to have Administrator-Privileges when running a
> > Windows-System than when running Unix. BECAUSE a lot of programs DO NOT
> > WORK if you do not have these privileges.
> >
> > Especially home-users usually have their default user working as
> > Administrator.
> >
> > I recommend that we add an option to "do not check for Administrator, I
> > know I do something dangerous" for windows; at least when starting
> > Postgresql from the command line.
> >
>
> I second that. People trying out PG on their windows box, might easily be
taken
> aback, if the server does not run with Admin privileges. I for one would
not
> even think that this might be the reason (as bad Windows programs tend to
work
> the other way :)
>
> Regards
> Thomas
>
>
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