Re: \c bpsimple rick

[Philippe Salama <karebacnyc@xxxxxxxxx>]

The book has no date I can see, but I purchased it several years ago, and it speaks of PostgreSQL 8 as being new.

As soon as I find the link again to subscribe to the novice forum, I shall do so, and not post in Admin.  Thanks!

Tom Lane <tgl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Philippe Salama writes:
> My textbook had me create a user named rick, with the power to create databases, but not the power to create new users.
> in the next exercise, I am in template1 as user neil, who has the prompt =# which means that neil has power to create databases. I am told to \c bpsimple rick, and it says NOTICE THE PROMPT changes to =>, meaning rick has no power to create databases.

How old is your textbook?

What the # prompt actually means is that you are a "superuser", which
means you can do anything at all within PostgreSQL (equivalent to root
on a Unix system, and I-dunno-what on Windows). Creating databases
is a lesser privilege. It used to be that creating users was only
allowed to a superuser, but now we have a lesser privilege that allows
non-superusers to create more (non-super) users. In any case, if you
are superuser you can definitely do both of those things.

If the book equates the # prompt to create-database privilege then it's
flat out wrong, or at least has been for as long as I can remember.
If it equates # to create-user privilege then it's only been wrong for
the last release or two.

regards, tom lane

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