[Gnumed-devel] PostgreSQL questions

[James Busser]

Just clarifying a few things about the postgres users...

Is there any correspondence between a system account "postgres" and a user 
(within postgreSQL) called "postgres"?

Can postgres tolerate (function with)
- a postgres user "postgres" in the absence of a system user (account) postgres?
- absence of a postgres user "postgres"?

Within postgreSQL, are the privileges of the user "postgres" special and 
equivalent to the unlimited system privileges of the "root" user (at least per 
postgreSQL defaults)?

There was mention (in the postings about pgAdmin III) that the postgreSQL 
account "postgres" would be unable to access the gnumed databases, on account 
of some settings in one of the postgres configuration files.

1) is the above correct and

2) given that this could be reversed by altering the config settings, the 
reasons for the constraints against letting "postgres" meddle with the gnumed 
databases include:

- isolating the managers of the "postgres" account from accidental or 
inappropriate meddling with the gnumed schemas and

- such isolation depends on said managers either lacking (sudo) access to the 
postgres config files or, if given said access, would agree by social policy 
not to bypass the constraints?