Default password for my user in postgresql

Question

I installed postgresql on my Mac through homebrew. It said it didn't create a postgres account, but is using an account with my username instead. However, running the command psql fails because when I type in my password, it says it's wrong. I've retried it to make sure I'm not typing it wrong. So what's the password it gave me?

See also this question: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7695962/postgresql-password-authentication-failed-for-user-postgres?rq=1 — DNA, May 20 '14 at 20:49
It usually creates an account with your username but no password assigned. — tadman, May 20 '14 at 21:00
@tadman I noticed my install did create an account with my user name however when it prompts for passwords and I just hit enter (assuming this would satisfy no password), it just repeats the prompt for a password. Are you aware of way to actually authenticate as the default user or is this not possible? — Kevin Dark, May 17 '20 at 04:33

score 44 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 16 '20 at 23:19

44

As per tadman's comment, Homebrew postgres currently creates an account with the same name as the installing user, but no password. E.g. after my initial install (username david):

$ psql postgres
psql (12.2)
Type "help" for help.

postgres=# \du
                                   List of roles
 Role name |                         Attributes                         | Member of 
-----------+------------------------------------------------------------+-----------
 david     | Superuser, Create role, Create DB, Replication, Bypass RLS | {}

answered Apr 16 '20 at 23:19

David Moles

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Homebrew is constantly prompting for a password for any user (whether psql -U postgres or just psql postgres), fresh after installation. There does not seem to be a user without a password. – Cheetaiean Jun 04 '20 at 20:25
@Cheetaiean did you figure out a solution? – ricks Dec 07 '21 at 23:46
@Cheetaiean is there any solution? – Sergei Aug 01 '22 at 15:56
Try using `psql -U postgres` followed by `postgres` as the password. – Pratik Parmar Aug 08 '23 at 08:08

score 17 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 03 '20 at 16:10

17

When installing on a mac via homebrew, the default user that is created is named the same as your mac's user account. There is no password, and running psql should get you in.

If not, you likely ALSO have the postgres application installed. If you uninstall the application it will no longer have issues with clashing users.

answered Dec 03 '20 at 16:10

Colby

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If you're getting the PG error: `database "" does not exist` - homebrew will install the DB user as but keep the default DB name as 'postgres' - so logging in with `psql -d postgres` will work. – jester66 Aug 08 '22 at 10:42

score 12 · Answer 3 · answered May 20 '14 at 23:07

12

There are two different "accounts" here:

The OS X user that owns the PostgreSQL files and processes. When you installed PostgreSQL, you used your own user account for that.
The PostgreSQL user that can log in to the PostgreSQL database. By default, that user is internal to your PostgreSQL instance and has nothing to do with any OS X user.

For psql, you need #2. Immediately after installation, there should be a user named "postgres" with no password that has full administrative privileges - try logging in with those credentials (and change the password to something secure ASAP).

answered May 20 '14 at 23:07

Peter Headland

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`psql -U postgres` gives "fe_sendauth: no password supplied" – hobs Mar 12 '19 at 04:03
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After Homebrew installation it asks for the password for any user... – Cheetaiean Jun 04 '20 at 20:23

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 18 '20 at 16:07

2

I my self run in to the same problem, turned out I had Postgres already installed without Homebrew. After I deleted that install, the homebrew install worked and it didn't prompt me for a password anymore.

answered Nov 18 '20 at 16:07

Stirner

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score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 20 '22 at 10:55

I ran into the same probelm and solved like this. This could be due to the reason that you installed postgres previously from other sources and then tried uninstalling. It did leave postgres user account on your system. Go to user & accounts from system preferences. From there, remove the postgres user account. Now restart and then try installing with brew. This should work.

score 1 · Answer 6 · answered May 11 '23 at 07:26

I met this issue again and just used psql postgres to solve this issue. It displays like below:

➜  ~ psql postgres
psql (14.7 (Homebrew))
Type "help" for help.

postgres=#

but I can not use psql -U postgres, it display like below:

➜  ~ psql -U postgres
psql: error: connection to server on socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: FATAL:  role "postgres" does not exist

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 08 '23 at 08:11

I've installed Postgres 14 using Homebrew. I tried using postgres as the password while logging in for the first time and it worked.

hackyroot@Root-MacBook-Air ~ % psql -U postgres
Password for user postgres: 
psql (14.8 (Homebrew), server 15.3)
WARNING: psql major version 14, server major version 15.
         Some psql features might not work.
Type "help" for help.

postgres=#

score 0 · Answer 8 · answered Aug 27 '23 at 12:11

With PostgreSQL 5 with Homebrew on MacOS Ventura 13.5.1:

user: my logged user password: postgress

How to find out:

On terminal:

psql postgres

and then:

postgres=# \du

Your username should be listed. Let's validate it. Type "\q" to

postgres=# \q

And then:

psql -U usernameListedAbove postgres

Default password for my user in postgresql

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