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$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/dropuser.sgml,v 1.21 2002/09/21 18:32:54 petere Exp $
PostgreSQL documentation
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<refentry id="APP-DROPUSER">
 <refmeta>
  <refentrytitle id="APP-DROPUSER-TITLE"><application>dropuser</application></refentrytitle>
  <manvolnum>1</manvolnum>
  <refmiscinfo>Application</refmiscinfo>
 </refmeta>

 <refnamediv>
  <refname>dropuser</refname>
  <refpurpose>remove a <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> user account</refpurpose>
 </refnamediv>

 <refsynopsisdiv>
  <cmdsynopsis>
   <command>dropuser</command>
   <arg rep="repeat"><replaceable>options</replaceable></arg>
   <arg><replaceable>username</replaceable></arg>
  </cmdsynopsis>
 </refsynopsisdiv>


 <refsect1>
  <title>Description</title>

  <para>
   <application>dropuser</application> removes an existing
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> user
   <emphasis>and</emphasis> the databases which that user owned.
   Only users with <literal>usesuper</literal> set in
   the <literal>pg_shadow</literal> table can destroy 
   <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> users.
  </para>

  <para>
   <application>dropuser</application> is a shell script wrapper around the
   <acronym>SQL</acronym> command
   <xref linkend="SQL-DROPUSER" endterm="SQL-DROPUSER-title"> via
   the <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> interactive terminal
   <xref linkend="APP-PSQL">. Thus, there is nothing
   special about removing users via this or other methods. This means
   that the <application>psql</application> must be found by the script and that
   a database server is running at the targeted host. Also, any default
   settings and environment variables available to <application>psql</application>
   and the <application>libpq</application> front-end library do apply.
  </para>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
  <title>Options</title>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-h <replaceable class="parameter">host</replaceable></></term>
      <term><option>--host <replaceable class="parameter">host</replaceable></></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies the host name of the machine on which the 
	server
	is running.  If host begins with a slash, it is used 
	as the directory for the Unix domain socket.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-p <replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable></></term>
      <term><option>--port <replaceable class="parameter">port</replaceable></></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies the Internet TCP/IP port or local Unix domain socket file 
	extension on which the server
	is listening for connections.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-e</></term>
      <term><option>--echo</></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Echo the queries that <application>dropuser</application> generates
	and sends to the server.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-q</></term>
      <term><option>--quiet</></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Do not display a response.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><option>-i</></term>
      <term><option>--interactive</></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Prompt for confirmation before actually removing the user.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><replaceable class="parameter">username</replaceable></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
	Specifies the name of the <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> user to be removed. 
	This name must exist in the <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> installation.
	You will be prompted for a name if none is specified on the command line.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>
    </variablelist>

    <para>
    The options <literal>-h</literal>, <literal>-p</literal>, and <literal>-e</literal>,
    are passed on literally to <xref linkend="APP-PSQL">. The
    <application>psql</application> options <literal>-U</literal> and <literal>-W</literal>
    are available as well, but they can be confusing in this context.
   </para>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
  <title>Environment</title>

  <variablelist>
   <varlistentry>
    <term><envar>PGHOST</envar></term>
    <term><envar>PGPORT</envar></term>
    <term><envar>PGUSER</envar></term>

    <listitem>
     <para>
      Default connection parameters
     </para>
    </listitem>
   </varlistentry>
  </variablelist>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
   <title>Diagnostics</title>

    <variablelist>
     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>DROP USER</computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        All is well.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

     <varlistentry>
      <term><computeroutput>dropuser: deletion of user "<replaceable class="parameter">username</replaceable>" failed</computeroutput></term>
      <listitem>
       <para>
        Something went wrong. The user was not removed.
       </para>
      </listitem>
     </varlistentry>

    </variablelist>

   <para>
    If there is an error condition, the backend error message will be displayed.
    See <xref linkend="SQL-DROPUSER" endterm="SQL-DROPUSER-title">
    and <xref linkend="APP-PSQL"> for possibilities.
   </para>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
  <title>Examples</title>

   <para>
    To remove user <literal>joe</literal> from the default database
    server:
<screen>
<prompt>$ </prompt><userinput>dropuser joe</userinput>
<computeroutput>DROP USER</computeroutput>
</screen>
   </para>

   <para>
    To remove user <literal>joe</literal> using the postmaster on host
    <literal>eden</literal>, port 5000, with verification and a peek at the underlying
    query:
<screen>
<prompt>$ </prompt><userinput>dropuser -p 5000 -h eden -i -e joe</userinput>
<computeroutput>User "joe" and any owned databases will be permanently deleted.
Are you sure? (y/n) </computeroutput><userinput>y</userinput>
<computeroutput>DROP USER "joe"
DROP USER</computeroutput>
</screen>
   </para>
 </refsect1>


 <refsect1>
  <title>See Also</title>

  <simplelist type="inline">
   <member><xref linkend="app-createuser"></member>
   <member><xref linkend="sql-dropuser" endterm="sql-dropuser-title"></member>
  </simplelist>
 </refsect1>

</refentry>

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