Re: Installing PostgreSQL as "postgress" versus "root" Debate!

I wrote:
> The current recommendation, which is reflected in the installation
> instructions, is to install the software as root and to use the
> postgres user for the database files.  The advice seen elsewhere in
> this thread to use the postgres user also for the software files is
> wrong.

Those who dismiss this advice as my own imagination may want to check
how other server packages are installed on their system.

What user does sshd run under?  Who owns /usr/sbin/sshd?

What user does the MTA run under?  Who owns the binaries?

What user does Apache run under?  Who owns the binaries?

etc.

On my system, the answer is sshd/postfix/www-data on the one side and
root on the other.  Therefore it is consistent to use postgres and root
for PostgreSQL.  If your system uses a different distribution of users,
you may want to adjust the PostgreSQL installation accordingly.  But
note that this voids your warranty because it is not covered by the
installation instructions. :)

--
Peter Eisentraut
http://developer.postgresql.org/~petere/