Thread: BUG #4646: Default password is patently absurd
The following bug has been logged online: Bug reference: 4646 Logged by: Jason Email address: jdmarshall@gmail.com PostgreSQL version: 8.2 Operating system: Windows XP Description: Default password is patently absurd Details: I let the installer pick a password for me. What it picked was 31 characters long, and included characters that I can't actually type on my keyboard. Quite possibly some can't even be displayed on my system, as several are listed as "?". One of the other characters is the section symbol (aka §) Who thought this was a good idea?
Jason wrote: > I let the installer pick a password for me. What it picked was 31 > characters long, and included characters that I can't actually type on my > keyboard. Quite possibly some can't even be displayed on my system, as > several are listed as "?". One of the other characters is the section > symbol (aka §) > > > Who thought this was a good idea? > that password is ONLY used for the Windows Service login, not anything you'd ever see again.
> that password is ONLY used for the Windows Service login, not anything yo= u'd > ever see again. Only when reusing the service account to do a PostgreSQL update... or when doing the not so uncommon "uninstall, reinstall" raindance fix for windows (which indeed helps if some bad application overwrote some DLLs..) :) Harald --=20 GHUM Harald Massa persuadere et programmare Harald Armin Massa Spielberger Stra=DFe 49 70435 Stuttgart 0173/9409607 no fx, no carrier pigeon - EuroPython 2009 will take place in Birmingham - Stay tuned!
Harald Armin Massa wrote: >> that password is ONLY used for the Windows Service login, not anything you'd >> ever see again. >> > > Only when reusing the service account to do a PostgreSQL update... or > when doing the not so uncommon "uninstall, reinstall" raindance fix > for windows (which indeed helps if some bad application overwrote some > DLLs..) :) > the postgres windows uninstaller probably should be offering to delete the postgres user account when it deletes the service, since the installer created that account in the first place.
John, > the postgres windows uninstaller probably should be offering to delete the > postgres user account when it deletes the service, since the installer > created that account in the first place. deleting the postgres-windows-account is not really what someone should wish for. As the files of that account (i.E. the database-files) are tightly coupled with the account on Windows. Just for reference: postgres windows account may be killed and password-changed via administration, computer, users and groups or: - to remove (be warned that when using windows crypted filesystems this may be a real bad thing to do, and without them I would not recommend it) net user postgres /delete - to change password net user postgres NewPassWord98uL best wishes Harald --=20 GHUM Harald Massa persuadere et programmare Harald Armin Massa Spielberger Stra=DFe 49 70435 Stuttgart 0173/9409607 no fx, no carrier pigeon - EuroPython 2009 will take place in Birmingham - Stay tuned!
Harald Armin Massa wrote:
> John,
>
>
>> the postgres windows uninstaller probably should be offering to delete the
>> postgres user account when it deletes the service, since the installer
>> created that account in the first place.
>>
>
> deleting the postgres-windows-account is not really what someone
> should wish for. As the files of that account (i.E. the
> database-files) are tightly coupled with the account on Windows.
>
you're right, I didn't think that through.
I suppose the installer, when faced with an existing postgres account
from a previous installation, could offer to reset its password. of
course, if there was more than one postgres instance running in
different directories and different services using this same account,
that would complicate things too. ugh
I've several times had to talk people through how to manually set an
account password and the service password to match. this sort of
thing is beyond the typical windows user's experience. Note, btw, the
service password can be reset on win2000 and newer systems with
C:\> sc config pgsql-8.3 password= newservicepassword
C:\> sc qc pgsql-8.3
[SC] GetServiceConfig SUCCESS
SERVICE_NAME: pgsql-8.3
TYPE : 10 WIN32_OWN_PROCESS
START_TYPE : 2 AUTO_START
ERROR_CONTROL : 1 NORMAL
BINARY_PATH_NAME : D:\postgres\8.3\bin\pg_ctl.exe
runservice -w -N "pgsql-8.3" -D "D:\postgres\8.3\data\"
LOAD_ORDER_GROUP :
TAG : 0
DISPLAY_NAME : PostgreSQL Database Server 8.3
DEPENDENCIES :
SERVICE_START_NAME : .\postgres
[note the use of whitespace has to be exactly as given]