[HACKERS] LISTEN/NOTIFY Security and the docs
Hi All, I just realized that anyone can listen for notifications (using listen) so long as they know the channel name. This means that a user could receive and view the payload for another user. Perhaps it would be good to note this in the documentation (i.e., there should be no expectation of privacy/security when using listen/notify, so any user that can connect to a database could issue and receive notifications for any channel.) thanks -- Chander Ganesan Open Technology Group, Inc. 11010 Lake Grove Blvd Ste. 100-307 Morrisville, NC 27560 919-463-0999/877-258-8987 http://www.otg-nc.com -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
Re: [HACKERS] We should Axe /contrib/start-scripts
Kevin Grittner wrote: Tom Lane t...@sss.pgh.pa.us wrote: In general I'd not recommend that an init script go messing with the contents of the postmaster.pid file, which it would have to do to have any of this logic in the script. But LSB specifically provides the pidofproc function to extract the pid info. I think Tom meant that you don't want to modify the contents of that file (or its timestamp). Reading from the file (and using the data there) is a whole different story, and is - in part - why the file exists in the first place. http://refspecs.freestandards.org/LSB_3.1.0/LSB-Core-generic/LSB-Core-generic/iniscrptfunc.html This brings me back round to what I was looking at recently -- the possibility of trying to make an LSB-conforming init script for PostgreSQL. I'm having a lot of trouble, though, trying to get either the postmaster or pg_ctl to behave well with the start_daemon function implementations available to me. Is there a fundamental mismatch there, or am I probably just missing some crucial detail? (The killproc function seems to work just fine, however, as long as I use the -p switch and give it the right signal.) And there's the usual question: is there interest in such a script? The script is undoubtedly useful, if nothing more than to provide a template for Linux distros. However, I think by itself it is used quite broadly by admins that choose to install from source rather than using a pre-packaged distribution. Some time ago I started work on a HeartBeat/OpenAIS resource management script for PostgreSQL to integrate it more closely with HeartbeatV2 (to support resource monitoring on a standby, auto-setup of standby node, etc.) but haven't worked on it since hitting a couple walls that are somewhat related to this issue. Having a better (and foolproof) start/stop LSB script would definitely help that project when I get back to it.. -- Chander Ganesan Open Technology Group, Inc. One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 919-463-0999/877-258-8987 http://www.otg-nc.com -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
Re: [HACKERS] We should Axe /contrib/start-scripts
Alvaro Herrera wrote: Kevin Grittner wrote: The reason is that we don't want certain other processes attempting to start until and unless the database they use has started successfully. This is something we're not quite ready on, yet. We need some mechanism that allows scripts to verify not only that postmaster started, but also that it has finished recovery. You can sort-of do it by attempting a connection and checking the error message, but it's ugly. There was talk about a pg_ping utility years ago, but nobody got around to writing it ... Can't you use pg_controldata to see whether it is in recovery or not? Seems like you've got a way to see if it's running, seeing if it is in recovery should therefore be pretty straightforward, no? -- Chander Ganesan Open Technology Group, Inc. One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 919-463-0999/877-258-8987 http://www.otg-nc.com -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
Re: [HACKERS] We should Axe /contrib/start-scripts
Tom Lane wrote: Aidan Van Dyk ai...@highrise.ca writes: Can postmaster keep a exclusive lock on its own pid file the entire time it's running? That's been discussed, but file locking isn't all that portable or trustworthy :-( regards, tom lane What about having a special request via the socket file asking for its data directory (not over the network)? Or even to have it just update the timestamp on its pid file... -- Chander Ganesan Open Technology Group, Inc. One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 877-258-8987/919-463-0999 http://www.otg-nc.com -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
Re: [HACKERS] We should Axe /contrib/start-scripts
Josh Berkus wrote: ... for the simple reason that nobody is maintaining it. Wheeler just pointed out to me today that the OSX startup script hasn't been updated since 7.4 and contains misinformation and dangerous scripting. Other startup scripts there are equally dilapidated, and aren't used by the linux distros regardless. IMHO, those scripts (at least the Linux one) has great value. There are numerous people that compile and install from source, and for them at least some of these scripts are used quite a bit. AFAIK, the Linux one is functional (yes, sub-optimal in some ways, but it works just fine)... -- Chander Ganesan Open Technology Group, Inc. One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 919-463-0999/877-258-8987 http://www.otg-nc.com -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your subscription: http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-hackers
Re: [HACKERS] CREATEROLE, CREATEDB
Peter Eisentraut wrote: Is it correct that a user with CREATEROLE privilege but without CREATEDB privilege can create a user with *CREATEDB* privilege, thus bypassing his original restrictions? This sequence doesn't look right: pei=# create user foo1 createrole; CREATE ROLE pei=# \c - foo1 You are now connected to database pei as user foo1. pei= create database test; ERROR: permission denied to create database pei= create user foo2 createdb; CREATE ROLE pei= \c - foo2 You are now connected to database pei as user foo2. pei= create database test; CREATE DATABASE that's how its documented: http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/sql-createrole.html Be careful with the CREATEROLE privilege. There is no concept of inheritance for the privileges of a CREATEROLE-role. That means that even if a role does not have a certain privilege but is allowed to create other roles, it can easily create another role with different privileges than its own (except for creating roles with superuser privileges). For example, if the role user has the CREATEROLE privilege but not the CREATEDB privilege, nonetheless it can create a new role with the CREATEDB privilege. Therefore, regard roles that have the CREATEROLE privilege as almost-superuser-roles. -- Chander Ganesan The Open Technology Group One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999 http://www.otg-nc.com ---(end of broadcast)--- TIP 1: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate subscribe-nomail command to [EMAIL PROTECTED] so that your message can get through to the mailing list cleanly
Re: [HACKERS] About PostgreSQL certification
Joshua D. Drake wrote: To cure the shortage of experienced Postgres folks there is only one solution - err, more experience! So the need is for good training courses (not necessarily certification and all the IMHO nonsense that comes with that), and a willingness on the part of employers to invest in upskilling their staff. You know its funny. Command Prompt, OTG-Inc, SRA and Big Nerd Ranch *all* offer training. Last I checked, OTG had to cancel classes because of lack of demand (please verify Chander). We tried to offer classes in Santa Clara, CA (and may do so again), but didn't have sufficient demand to run them. There were 2 people that had expressed interest in that class. However, I will say that in 2006 that was the only class we canceled (keep in mind though, that we run courses at our headquarters *regardless* of the number of students enrolled - it's our policy to not cancel classes here...) On another note, I will say that we're doing well enough to support the project through SPI... Command Prompt currently only trains corps with 12+ people per class so we are a bit different. Sinerely, Joshua D. Drake -- Chander Ganesan The Open Technology Group One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999 http://www.otg-nc.com
Re: [HACKERS] About PostgreSQL certification
Ivo, Iannsp wrote: Hello, I did like to know what you think about the postgresql certifications provided for PostgreSQL CE http://www.sraoss.co.jp/postgresql-ce/news_en.html CertFirst http://www.certfirst.com/postgreSql.htm My question is about the validate of this certification for the clients. Make difference to be certified? IMHO, the SRA certification has been around for awhile, and I believe it has some credibility in Japan...While I'm not sure what its credibility is like here in the US - the fact that it has credibility in Japan is a big plus . The CertFirst certification (examsonline.com), seems to be administered online (as opposed to SRA's which is at a PearsonVUE test center) - which basically means that it's open book, open note, call your friend, copy the questions, etc. It also seems that CertFirst runs the certification themselves under what appears to be a shell company called examsonline. It looks to be more of a marketing ploy than anything else Based on the fact that they are a provider of training under the WIA act in IL, I'd suspect that they need a certification so that they can sell their programs to the unemployed folks that are getting free training on the gov'ts dime. thanks for advanced. Ivo Nascimento. ---(end of broadcast)--- TIP 2: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster -- Chander Ganesan The Open Technology Group One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999 http://www.otg-nc.com ---(end of broadcast)--- TIP 5: don't forget to increase your free space map settings
Re: [HACKERS] About PostgreSQL certification
Chander Ganesan wrote: Ivo, Iannsp wrote: Hello, I did like to know what you think about the postgresql certifications provided for PostgreSQL CE http://www.sraoss.co.jp/postgresql-ce/news_en.html CertFirst http://www.certfirst.com/postgreSql.htm My question is about the validate of this certification for the clients. Make difference to be certified? IMHO, the SRA certification has been around for awhile, and I believe it has some credibility in Japan...While I'm not sure what its credibility is like here in the US - the fact that it has credibility in Japan is a big plus . The CertFirst certification (examsonline.com), seems to be administered online (as opposed to SRA's which is at a PearsonVUE test center) - which basically means that it's open book, open note, call your friend, copy the questions, etc. It also seems that CertFirst runs the certification themselves under what appears to be a shell company called examsonline. It looks to be more of a marketing ploy than anything else Correction...I just checked and it looks like they've updated their web site and no longer refer to the examsonline online exam...so I'm not sure where/what their exam entails now. Their site used to refer to an exam through examsonline.com ... You'll have to contact them for details... Based on the fact that they are a provider of training under the WIA act in IL, I'd suspect that they need a certification so that they can sell their programs to the unemployed folks that are getting free training on the gov'ts dime. thanks for advanced. Ivo Nascimento. ---(end of broadcast)--- TIP 2: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster -- Chander Ganesan The Open Technology Group One Copley Parkway, Suite 210 Morrisville, NC 27560 Phone: 877-258-8987/919-463-0999 http://www.otg-nc.com ---(end of broadcast)--- TIP 6: explain analyze is your friend
