createuser(1)
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 permis-
sion checks within the database, so superuserdom should not
be granted lightly.
createuser is a wrapper around the SQL command CREATE ROLE
[create_role(5)]. 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
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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 iden-
tifier). 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 permissions.)
-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 pass-
word of the new user. This is not necessary if you do
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not plan on using password 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.
-q
--quiet
Do not display a response.
You will be prompted for a name and other missing informa-
tion 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 connec-
tions.
-U username
--username username
User name to connect as (not the user name to create).
-W
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--password
Force password prompt (to connect to the server, not
for the password of the new user).
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(5)] and
psql(1) for discussions of potential problems and error mes-
sages. 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
CREATE USER
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;
CREATE ROLE
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 'xyzzy' SUPERUSER CREATEDB CREATEROLE INHERIT LOGIN;
CREATE ROLE
In the above example, the new password isn't actually echoed
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when typed, but we show what was typed for clarity. However
the password will appear in the echoed command, as illus-
trated - so you don't want to use -e when assigning a pass-
word, if anyone else can see your screen.
SEE ALSO
dropuser(1), CREATE ROLE [create_role(5)]
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