Re: authentication

tim hall <tech@glastonburymusic.org.uk> writes:
> I'm fine with most things except I simply don't understand how authentication
> works - I have RTFM'd and still don't get it. I have no trouble connecting
> with the Postmaster on my local machine via command-line psql, but I'm not
> experiencing the same joy with Python or PgAccess, both return similar errors
> if I specify the Host as 'localhost':

> Python:
> _pg.error: FATAL:  IDENT authentication failed for user "tim"

IDENT works very differently for connections across TCP (which I suspect
is what Python/PgAccess are using) versus connections across a Unix
socket (which is what psql will use by default).  I suspect you are not
running an IDENT daemon, which is needed in the first case but not the
second.  But you should look in the postmaster log to find out more.

            regards, tom lane