Re: BUG #13958: Missing docs on error

On Sat, Feb 13, 2016 at 12:47 PM, <public88878878887@hotmail.com> wrote:

> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference:      13958
> Logged by:          Brian G
> Email address:      public88878878887@hotmail.com
> PostgreSQL version: 9.4.6
> Operating system:   Ubuntu 14
> Description:
>
> The dreaded "FATAL:  Peer authentication failed ..." error needs
> information
> on how to use your product.  Every time I try to use PSQL I have to fight
> this battle again.  There are a hundred thousand pages about it on the we=
b,
> but 99% of most fixes don't work.  Is there a definitive guide you could
> post so folks could get their development environment running?  Why is th=
is
> such a big problem?  I've wasted a bunch of hours --again-- and this stil=
l
> doesn't work.  To me, pq is a product that should "not be used solely
> because of this".  I won't allow it at our organization except under
> exceptional circumstances, because of this error.  I would love to see a
> Postgres-branded guide to fixing this (not explaining how OS authorisatio=
n
> works in full, just fixing the error) that makes your product more usable=
.
>

=E2=80=8BIts a problem because:
1) PostgreSQL attempts to be platform agnostic
2) PostgreSQL attempts to setup a reasonably secure configuration by
default.

Do you have specific suggestions or ideas as to what would be useful for
you as a user?

And, there are lots of people on these lists who are willing to help
explain things that people reading the extensive documentation=E2=80=8B

=E2=80=8Bjust cannot get to click.  Its nice you took the time to rant but =
a
well-phrased question a few hours ago probably would likely have prevented
the situation in the first place - though I am not saying that
documentation and error hint message improve is not needed.

But error messages are not the place for paragraphs and chapters worth of
documentation; that is why there is documentation - which exists.  Which
brings us back to what improvements does an inexperienced user think will
help improve matters.

David J.