Re: Problem Adding A PostgreSQL Server in Debian

[Andreas Pflug <pgadmin(at)pse-consulting(dot)de>]

Sunburned Surveyor wrote:
> 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 <http://127.0.0.1>   255.255.255.255 
> <http://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?

How about having a look at pgAdmin's help....

Regards,
Andreas