Re: Can't connect to socket in Debian distribution

"KEVIN ZEMBOWER" <KZEMBOWER@jhuccp.org> writes:
> www2:/home/kevinz# psql -W mnogosearch mnogosearch
> Password:
> psql: FATAL 1:  IDENT authentication failed for user "mnogosearch"
                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

> When I 'su mnogosearch' I can then 'psql mnogosearch' , never get asked for a password, and get into psql immediately
andwithout a problem. 

Indeed, because you haven't got it configured to use password
authentication: you have it configured to use IDENT, which looks at the
Unix userid you are running as.  That has to match the Postgres userid
you are trying to connect as.

> One thing I don't understand is the difference between:
> psql -W <dbname> <username>
> and:
> psql -W -U <username> <dbname>
> My reference book leads me to believe that there's no difference. Is there?

AFAICS there should be no difference ... just a matter of taste.

            regards, tom lane