Question

7

How to make psql to default to localhost?

rated 0 times [ 7] [ 0] / answers: 1 / hits: 18486 / 2 Years ago, tue, january 4, 2022, 3:19:35

I have the following scenario:

saji@geeklap:~$ psql -U postgres

psql: FATAL:  Ident authentication failed for user "postgres"



saji@geeklap:~$ psql -h localhost -U postgres

Password for user postgres: 

psql (8.4.14)

SSL connection (cipher: DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA, bits: 256)

Type "help" for help.



postgres=#

I'm trying to log into the postgresql server installed in my system as user postgres. I'm able to login only if I specify -h localhost. Whereas psql documentation says that:

If you omit the host name, psql will connect via a Unix-domain socket
to a server on the local host, or via TCP/IP to localhost on machines
that don't have Unix-domain sockets.

Ref: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/app-psql.html#R2-APP-PSQL-CON

Why am I unable to login without specifying the host, is there some configuration file that needs any change for things to occur as told in the psql documentation?

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splenueak

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2 Years ago

answered 2 Years ago ranquctive · Accepted Answer

In fact, it works as documented.

When the host name is omitted, psql connects to the Unix-domain socket whose path is compiled in. That part works in your case, otherwise it would output a different error message than what the question shows.

The error message in the question:

psql: FATAL:  Ident authentication failed for user "postgres"

relates to the fact that only the Unix user postgres has the permission to connect as the database user postgres when using a Unix-domain socket. This is configured in the pg_hba.conf file.

what you should typically do in Ubuntu when you're logged in as a normal user, but you're the administrator of the system:

$ sudo -u postgres psql