Re: Problem Adding A PostgreSQL Server in Debian

I had posted a couple of weeks back about a problem I had using pgAdmin3. I
was basically unable to add a new server to PostgreSQL from pgAdmin. I
received the following error message:

"An error has occurred: Error connecting to the server: FATAL:IDENT
authentication failed for user "myuser" "

I was able to determine the cause of this error. (Sort of...) I wanted to
post it back to the list so that other newbies might run across it while
they are searching the archives.

Apparently there are a couple of ways to connect to PostgreSQL from a
client. One of them is via UNIX sockets as a UNIX user. (Or Linux Sockets as
a Linux User.) Another is via TCP/IP.

I could successfully connect to PostgreSQL and issue commands via the psql
command prompt. With this command for example:

psql -U postgres tempate1

However, I couldn't connect with this command:

psql -h localhost -U postgres template1

This meant that I was connecting as a Linux user via a socket, and not via
TCP/IP.

If this happens to you, there are a couple of things that you can check:

[1] Issue the 2 commands mentioned above. If the first one works, but the
second one generates the error message, you probably have the same problem I
did.

[2] Make sure that postgresql.conf file contains a line that reads
"tcpip_socket = true", not "tcpip_socket = false". On my Debian Sarge system
the postgresql.conf file could be found at /etc/postgresql/ You will need
root access privileges to modify it.

[3] Make sure that your pg_hba.conf file is set up to accept tcp/ip
connections. I believe this is done by accepting all connections on the
local host. You should have a line in your hba_conf.file that looks like
this:

host all all 127.0.0.1 255.255.255.255 trust

(This might set up your PostgreSQL to accept all connections from the local
or host computer. You might not want this. Perhaps one of the other experts
can tell us how to set up the file to allow tcp/ip access but maintain
password verification on the local computer.)

On my Debian Sarge system you can find the postgresql.conf file at
/etc/postgresql. You will need root access privileges to modify it.

I hope this will help any pgAdmin 3 users that run into the same problem I
did. I am curious why I didn't recieve a response from the mailing list. Did
I violate a rule of ettiquette, or not provide enough information?

My next question would be:

How do you set up pgAdmin to connect to PostgreSQL via Unix Sockets?

I believe I read that this can be done with pgAdmin3.

Thanks,

The Sunburned Surveyor

On 12/16/05, Sunburned Surveyor <sunburned(dot)surveyor(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
>
> I've installed PostgreSQL, and set it up with a user that has the same
> user name and password as one of the Linux Users. I have no problem logging
> into the psql terminal with the user via the command line. Once I am logged
> into psql, I can execute the CREATE DATABASE and CREATE TABLE commands with
> no problem.
>
> However, when I tried to add a server in pgAdmin3 with the same user and
> password, I get this error:
>
> "An error has occurred:
>
> Error connecting to the server: FATAL:IDENT authentication failed for user
> "myuser" "
>
> I have checked my pg_hba.conf file and everything appears to be as it
> should be. (Although I'm not an expert, and I could be missing something.)
> It is set up to accepts all connections from the local machine.
>
> Do you guys have any suggestions for me? I'm thinking the problem is with
> pgAdmin3, since I can connect to PostgreSQL via the psql terminal with no
> problems, but I'm not sure.
>
> I'm running the latest stable version of both PostgreSQL and pgAdmin3.
>
> Thanks,
>
> The Sunburned Surveyor
>
>
>