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$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/alter_user.sgml,v 1.18 2001/12/08 03:24:33 thomas Exp $

$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/alter_user.sgml,v 1.19 2002/02/27 21:14:53 petere Exp $

PostgreSQL documentation

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<refentry id="SQL-ALTERUSER">

<refmeta>

<refentrytitle id="sql-alteruser-title">

ALTER USER

</refentrytitle>

<refentrytitle id="sql-alteruser-title">ALTER USER</refentrytitle>

<refmiscinfo>SQL - Language Statements</refmiscinfo>

</refmeta>

<refnamediv>

<refname>

ALTER USER

</refname>

<refpurpose>

change a database user account

</refpurpose>

<refname>ALTER USER</refname>

<refpurpose>change a database user account</refpurpose>

</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>

<refsynopsisdivinfo>

<date>2001-07-10</date>

</refsynopsisdivinfo>

<synopsis>

<synopsis>

ALTER USER <replaceable class="PARAMETER">username</replaceable> [ [ WITH ] <replaceable class="PARAMETER">option</replaceable> [ ... ] ]

where <replaceable class="PARAMETER">option</replaceable> can be:

[ ENCRYPTED | UNENCRYPTED ] PASSWORD '<replaceable class="PARAMETER">password</replaceable>'

| CREATEDB | NOCREATEDB

| CREATEUSER | NOCREATEUSER

| VALID UNTIL '<replaceable class="PARAMETER">abstime</replaceable>'

</synopsis>

[ ENCRYPTED | UNENCRYPTED ] PASSWORD '<replaceable class="PARAMETER">password</replaceable>'

| CREATEDB | NOCREATEDB

| CREATEUSER | NOCREATEUSER

| VALID UNTIL '<replaceable class="PARAMETER">abstime</replaceable>'

</synopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<refsect1>

<title>Description</title>

<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERUSER-1">

<refsect2info>

<date>1998-09-08</date>

</refsect2info>

<title>

Inputs

</title>

<para>

<command>ALTER USER</command> is used to change the attributes of a

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> user account. Attributes not

mentioned in the command retain their previous settings.

</para>

<para>

Only a database superuser can change privileges and password

expiration with this command. Ordinary users can only change their

own password.

</para>

<refsect2>

<title>Parameters</title>

<para>

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><replaceable class="PARAMETER">username</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

The name of the user whosedetails are to be altered.

The name of the user whoseattributes are to be altered.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>ENCRYPTED</term>

<term>UNENCRYPTED</term>

<term><literal>ENCRYPTED</literal></term>

<term><literal>UNENCRYPTED</literal></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Thesekeywordscontrol whether the

password is storedencrypted in <literal>pg_shadow</>. (See

<para>

Thesekey wordscontrol whether the password is stored

encrypted in <literal>pg_shadow</>. (See

<xref linkend="SQL-CREATEUSER" endterm="SQL-CREATEUSER-title">

for more information about this choice.)

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>CREATEDB</term>

<term>NOCREATEDB</term>

<term><literal>CREATEDB</literal></term>

<term><literal>NOCREATEDB</literal></term>

<listitem>

<para>

These clauses define a user's ability to create databases.

If CREATEDB is specified, the user being defined will

be allowed to create his own databases. Using NOCREATEDB

will deny a user the ability to create databases.

<para>

These clauses define a user's ability to create databases. If

<literal>CREATEDB</literal> is specified, the user being

defined will be allowed to create his own databases. Using

<literal>NOCREATEDB</literal> will deny a user the ability to

create databases.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>CREATEUSER</term>

<term>NOCREATEUSER</term>

<term><literal>CREATEUSER</literal></term>

<term><literal>NOCREATEUSER</literal></term>

<listitem>

<para>

These clauses determine whether a user will be permitted to

create new users himself. This option will also make the user

a superuser who can override all access restrictions.

a superuser who can override all access restrictions.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

</refsect2>

<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERUSER-2">

<refsect2info>

<date>1998-09-08</date>

</refsect2info>

<title>

Outputs

</title>

<para>

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><computeroutput>ALTER USER</computeroutput></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Message returned if the alteration was successful.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><computeroutput>

ERROR: ALTER USER: user "username" does not exist

</computeroutput></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Error message returned if the specified user is not known to

the database.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

</refsect2>

</refsynopsisdiv>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Diagnostics</title>

<refsect1 id="R1-SQL-ALTERUSER-1">

<refsect1info>

<date>1998-09-08</date>

</refsect1info>

<title>

Description

</title>

<para>

<command>ALTER USER</command> is used to change the attributes of a user's

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> account. Attributes not mentioned

in the command retain their previous settings.

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><computeroutput>ALTER USER</computeroutput></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Message returned if the alteration was successful.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><computeroutput>ERROR: ALTER USER: user "username" does not exist</computeroutput></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Error message returned if the specified user is not known to

the database.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Notes</title>

<para>

can change privilegesandpassword expiration with this command. Ordinary

users can only change their own password.

to add new users,and<xref linkend="SQL-DROPUSER"

endterm="SQL-DROPUSER-title"> to remoe a user.

</para>

<para>

<command>ALTER USER</command> cannot change a user's group memberships.

Use <xref linkend="SQL-ALTERGROUP" endterm="SQL-ALTERGROUP-title">

to do that.

</para>

<para>

Use <xref linkend="SQL-CREATEUSER" endterm="SQL-CREATEUSER-title">

to create a new user and <xref linkend="SQL-DROPUSER"

endterm="SQL-DROPUSER-title"> to remove a user.

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 id="R1-SQL-ALTERUSER-2">

<title>

Usage

</title>

<refsect1>

<title>Examples</title>

<para>

Change a user password:

<programlisting>

ALTER USER davide WITH PASSWORD 'hu8jmn3';

</programlisting>

</para>

<para>

Change a user's valid until date:

<programlisting>

ALTER USER manuel VALID UNTIL 'Jan 31 2030';

</programlisting>

</para>

<para>

Change a user's valid until date, specifying that his

authorization should expire at midday on 4th May 1998 using

the time zone which is one hour ahead of UTC:

<programlisting>

ALTER USER chris VALID UNTIL 'May 4 12:00:00 1998 +1';

</programlisting>

</para>

<para>

Give a user the ability to create other users and new databases:

<programlisting>

ALTER USER miriam CREATEUSER CREATEDB;

</programlisting>

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1 id="R1-SQL-ALTERUSER-3">

<title>

Compatibility

</title>

<refsect1>

<title>Compatibility</title>

<refsect2 id="R2-SQL-ALTERUSER-4">

<title>

<para>

</para>

</refsect2>

<para>

</para>

<refsect1>

<member><xref linkend="sql-dropuser" endterm="sql-dropuser-title"></member>

</simplelist>

</refsect1>

</refentry>