Bug 110416 – Postgresql authorization cannot be retrieved

• Product: Gentoo Linux
• Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE

[Description Kim Pedersen 2005-10-25 02:05:39 UTC]

After installing postgresql and running emerge --config =postgresql-8.0.3 I can
start and use postgresql with no problem, but when I start or stop it using
/etc/init.d/postgresql I get a message like this:

yoda ~ # /etc/init.d/postgresql start
 * Starting PostgreSQL ...
su: Authentication service cannot retrieve authentication info.
(Ignored)                                                                 [ ok ]
yoda ~ #

As I said, I can use postgresql and it does not appear to be a real problem just
an ugly message.

This forum post has a solution:
http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-386497-highlight-su+authentication+service+retrieve+authentication.html

Maybe it should be added to the install script?

Reproducible: Always
Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.

[Comment 1 Nathan 2006-01-20 13:40:40 UTC]

I ran into this as well after emerging 8.1.1.  This same problem prevented setting a password on the postgres user account and ssh'ing into the postgres user (even using keys).

I'm glad Kim included the link to that forum post.  Simply running '/usr/sbin/pwconv' as root fixed all these problems.

From 'man pwconv':
"pwconv creates shadow from passwd and an optionally existing shadow."

It appears that /etc/shadow isn't being set up properly in the ebuild.

[Comment 2 Luca Longinotti (RETIRED) 2006-09-30 08:38:50 UTC]

The actual dev-db/postgresql ebuilds correctly set up their groups and users.
A solution posted in the forums is to simply run '/usr/sbin/pwconv' as root to fix this, but that isn't the ebuilds job.
Best regards, CHTEKK.

[Comment 3 Nathan 2006-10-02 08:46:11 UTC]

> The actual dev-db/postgresql ebuilds correctly set up their groups and users.

I haven't run into the problem in recent installs, so I assume that you mean the ebuilds have been fixed to address the problem.

> A solution posted in the forums is to simply run '/usr/sbin/pwconv' as root to
> fix this, but that isn't the ebuilds job.

If you are implying that users should intuitively know to run /usr/sbin/pwconv after an install, you're off your rocker.

However, like I already stated above, it appears the problem has already been fixed, as I've installed the latest version of postgresql on several new machines without encountering this issue.

[Comment 4 Jakub Moc (RETIRED) 2006-10-19 04:46:47 UTC]

Reopen to duplicate.

[Comment 5 Jakub Moc (RETIRED) 2006-10-19 04:47:02 UTC]

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of 98406 ***