how to enable password authentication om postgres,How to Enable Password Authentication on PostgreSQL

How to Enable Password Authentication on PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system. It is widely used for various applications due to its robustness, flexibility, and advanced features. One of the essential aspects of securing your PostgreSQL server is enabling password authentication. In this guide, I will walk you through the process of enabling password authentication on PostgreSQL, ensuring that your data remains secure.

Understanding Password Authentication

Password authentication is a method of verifying the identity of a user by requiring them to provide a password. This is a crucial step in securing your PostgreSQL server, as it prevents unauthorized access to your databases. By enabling password authentication, you ensure that only users with valid credentials can connect to your server.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following prerequisites in place:

• Access to your PostgreSQL server
• Superuser privileges on the PostgreSQL server
• PostgreSQL installed on your server

Step 1: Configure PostgreSQL to Accept Password Authentication

By default, PostgreSQL uses the MD5 password hashing algorithm. To enable password authentication, you need to configure the PostgreSQL server to accept password authentication. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your PostgreSQL server as a superuser.
2. Open the PostgreSQL configuration file, usually located at /etc/postgresql//main/postgresql.conf.
3. Locate the password_encryption setting and set it to md5. This setting determines the password hashing algorithm used by PostgreSQL.
4. Save the changes and exit the file.

Step 2: Create a User with Password Authentication

Next, you need to create a user with password authentication. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your PostgreSQL server as a superuser.
2. Run the following command to create a new user:

CREATE USER  WITH PASSWORD '';

Replace with the desired username and with a strong password.

Step 3: Configure PostgreSQL to Use Password Authentication

Now that you have a user with password authentication, you need to configure PostgreSQL to use this authentication method. Follow these steps:

1. Open the PostgreSQL configuration file, usually located at /etc/postgresql//main/pg_hba.conf.
2. Locate the line that starts with local and set it to the following:

local   all             all                                     md5

This line tells PostgreSQL to use the MD5 password hashing algorithm for local connections.

3. Locate the line that starts with host and set it to the following:

host    all             all             127.0.0.1/32            md5

This line tells PostgreSQL to use the MD5 password hashing algorithm for connections from the local machine.

5. Save the changes and exit the file.

Step 4: Restart PostgreSQL Server

After making changes to the PostgreSQL configuration files, you need to restart the PostgreSQL server to apply the changes. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your PostgreSQL server as a superuser.
2. Run the following command to restart the PostgreSQL server:

service postgresql restart

Step 5: Test Password Authentication

Finally, test the password authentication by connecting to your PostgreSQL server using the newly created user. Follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal or command prompt.
2. Run the following command to connect to your PostgreSQL server:

psql -U  -d 

Replace with the username you created and with the name of the database you want to connect to. You should be prompted to enter the password for the user. If the password is correct, you will be logged in to the PostgreSQL server