Re: initdb username doc bug

On Saturday, January 6, 2024, Bruce Momjian <bruce(at)momjian(dot)us> wrote:

> This commit:
>
> commit 910cab820d
> Author: Alvaro Herrera <alvherre(at)alvh(dot)no-ip(dot)org>
> Date: Fri Nov 18 11:59:26 2022 +0100
>
> Add glossary entries related to superusers
>
> Extracted from a more ambitious patch.
>
> Author: David G. Johnston <david(dot)g(dot)johnston(at)gmail(dot)com>
> Discussion: https://postgr.es/m/CAKFQuwZC4K0XYBm0bwBMDOZySBqhO
> SekDhLuaw4vPi+ozi8gqQ(at)mail(dot)gmail(dot)com
>
> used this text for the --username option:
>
> -U username
> --username=username
> Selects the user name of the bootstrap superuser. This defaults
> to the name of the cluster owner.
>
> This seems wrong since the cluster owner doesn't exist until the cluster
> is created. The text exists in PG 16 and master. The attached patch
> fixes this.
>

The glossary defines cluster owner as the pre-existing operating system
user. There may be an argument that installation user is a better term but
the existing choice isn’t wrong. If you are going to change it you need to
update the glossary as well. The description in initdb uses cluster owner
as well.

I agree we presently use a mix of set and specify in these definitions so
the word choice of selects is out-of-place.

David J.