DROPUSER(1) PostgreSQL Client Applications DROPUSER(1)NAME
dropuser - remove a PostgreSQL user account
SYNOPSIS
dropuser [ option... ] [ username ]
DESCRIPTION
dropuser removes an existing PostgreSQL user. Only superusers and users with the CREATEROLE privilege can remove PostgreSQL users. (To
remove a superuser, you must yourself be a superuser.)
dropuser is a wrapper around the SQL command DROP ROLE [drop_role(7)]. There is no effective difference between dropping users via this
utility and via other methods for accessing the server.
OPTIONS
dropuser accepts the following command-line arguments:
username
Specifies the name of the PostgreSQL user to be removed. You will be prompted for a name if none is specified on the command line.
-e
--echo Echo the commands that dropuser generates and sends to the server.
-i
--interactive
Prompt for confirmation before actually removing the user.
dropuser also accepts the following command-line arguments for connection parameters:
-h host
--host host
Specifies the host name of the machine on which the server is running. If the value begins with a slash, it is used as the directory
for the Unix domain socket.
-p port
--port port
Specifies the TCP port or local Unix domain socket file extension on which the server is listening for connections.
-U username
--username username
User name to connect as (not the user name to drop).
-w
--no-password
Never issue a password prompt. If the server requires password authentication and a password is not available by other means such as
a .pgpass file, the connection attempt will fail. This option can be useful in batch jobs and scripts where no user is present to
enter a password.
-W
--password
Force dropuser to prompt for a password before connecting to a database.
This option is never essential, since dropuser will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentica-
tion. However, dropuser will waste a connection attempt finding out that the server wants a password. In some cases it is worth
typing -W to avoid the extra connection attempt.
ENVIRONMENT
PGHOST
PGPORT
PGUSER Default connection parameters
This utility, like most other PostgreSQL utilities, also uses the environment variables supported by libpq (see in the documentation).
DIAGNOSTICS
In case of difficulty, see DROP ROLE [drop_role(7)] and psql(1) for discussions of potential problems and error messages. The database
server must be running at the targeted host. Also, any default connection settings and environment variables used by the libpq front-end
library will apply.
EXAMPLES
To remove user joe from the default database server:
$ dropuser joe
To remove user joe using the server on host eden, port 5000, with verification and a peek at the underlying command:
$ dropuser -p 5000 -h eden -i -e joe
Role "joe" will be permanently removed.
Are you sure? (y/n) y
DROP ROLE joe;
SEE ALSO createuser(1), DROP ROLE [drop_role(7)]
Application 2010-05-14 DROPUSER(1)
Check Out this Related Man Page
CREATEUSER(1) PostgreSQL Client Applications CREATEUSER(1)NAME
createuser - define a new PostgreSQL user account
SYNOPSIS
createuser [ option... ] [ username ]
DESCRIPTION
createuser creates a new PostgreSQL user (or more precisely, a role). Only superusers and users with CREATEROLE privilege can create new
users, so createuser must be invoked by someone who can connect as a superuser or a user with CREATEROLE privilege.
If you wish to create a new superuser, you must connect as a superuser, not merely with CREATEROLE privilege. Being a superuser implies
the ability to bypass all access permission checks within the database, so superuserdom should not be granted lightly.
createuser is a wrapper around the SQL command CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)]. There is no effective difference between creating users via
this utility and via other methods for accessing the server.
OPTIONS
createuser accepts the following command-line arguments:
username
Specifies the name of the PostgreSQL user to be created. This name must be different from all existing roles in this PostgreSQL
installation.
-s
--superuser
The new user will be a superuser.
-S
--no-superuser
The new user will not be a superuser. This is the default.
-d
--createdb
The new user will be allowed to create databases.
-D
--no-createdb
The new user will not be allowed to create databases. This is the default.
-r
--createrole
The new user will be allowed to create new roles (that is, this user will have CREATEROLE privilege).
-R
--no-createrole
The new user will not be allowed to create new roles. This is the default.
-l
--login
The new user will be allowed to log in (that is, the user name can be used as the initial session user identifier). This is the
default.
-L
--no-login
The new user will not be allowed to log in. (A role without login privilege is still useful as a means of managing database permis-
sions.)
-i
--inherit
The new role will automatically inherit privileges of roles it is a member of. This is the default.
-I
--no-inherit
The new role will not automatically inherit privileges of roles it is a member of.
-c number
--connection-limit number
Set a maximum number of connections for the new user. The default is to set no limit.
-P
--pwprompt
If given, createuser will issue a prompt for the password of the new user. This is not necessary if you do not plan on using pass-
word authentication.
-E
--encrypted
Encrypts the user's password stored in the database. If not specified, the default password behavior is used.
-N
--unencrypted
Does not encrypt the user's password stored in the database. If not specified, the default password behavior is used.
-e
--echo Echo the commands that createuser generates and sends to the server.
You will be prompted for a name and other missing information if it is not specified on the command line.
createuser also accepts the following command-line arguments for connection parameters:
-h host
--host host
Specifies the host name of the machine on which the server is running. If the value begins with a slash, it is used as the directory
for the Unix domain socket.
-p port
--port port
Specifies the TCP port or local Unix domain socket file extension on which the server is listening for connections.
-U username
--username username
User name to connect as (not the user name to create).
-w
--no-password
Never issue a password prompt. If the server requires password authentication and a password is not available by other means such as
a .pgpass file, the connection attempt will fail. This option can be useful in batch jobs and scripts where no user is present to
enter a password.
-W
--password
Force createuser to prompt for a password (for connecting to the server, not for the password of the new user).
This option is never essential, since createuser will automatically prompt for a password if the server demands password authentica-
tion. However, createuser will waste a connection attempt finding out that the server wants a password. In some cases it is worth
typing -W to avoid the extra connection attempt.
ENVIRONMENT
PGHOST
PGPORT
PGUSER Default connection parameters
This utility, like most other PostgreSQL utilities, also uses the environment variables supported by libpq (see in the documentation).
DIAGNOSTICS
In case of difficulty, see CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)] and psql(1) for discussions of potential problems and error messages. The database
server must be running at the targeted host. Also, any default connection settings and environment variables used by the libpq front-end
library will apply.
EXAMPLES
To create a user joe on the default database server:
$ createuser joe
Shall the new role be a superuser? (y/n) n
Shall the new role be allowed to create databases? (y/n) n
Shall the new role be allowed to create more new roles? (y/n) n
To create the same user joe using the server on host eden, port 5000, avoiding the prompts and taking a look at the underlying command:
$ createuser -h eden -p 5000 -S -D -R -e joe
CREATE ROLE joe NOSUPERUSER NOCREATEDB NOCREATEROLE INHERIT LOGIN;
To create the user joe as a superuser, and assign a password immediately:
$ createuser -P -s -e joe
Enter password for new role: xyzzy
Enter it again: xyzzy
CREATE ROLE joe PASSWORD 'md5b5f5ba1a423792b526f799ae4eb3d59e' SUPERUSER CREATEDB CREATEROLE INHERIT LOGIN;
In the above example, the new password isn't actually echoed when typed, but we show what was typed for clarity. As you see, the password
is encrypted before it is sent to the client. If the option --unencrypted is used, the password will appear in the echoed command (and pos-
sibly also in the server log and elsewhere), so you don't want to use -e in that case, if anyone else can see your screen.
SEE ALSO dropuser(1), CREATE ROLE [create_role(7)]
Application 2010-05-14 CREATEUSER(1)