Specifying Password for PSQL Non-Interactively
Using the -c Option:
You can specify the password using the
PGPASSWORD
environment variable:PGPASSWORD=my_password psql -c "SELECT * FROM my_table;" -d my_database
- Replace
my_password
with your actual password. - Replace
my_database
with the name of your database.
- Replace
You can use the
PGPASSWORD
environment variable to set the password for this user:PGPASSWORD=my_password psql -U my_user -d my_database
- Replace
my_user
with your username.
- Replace
Additional Notes:
- The
PGPASSWORD
environment variable is temporary and is not stored in your shell history. - You can also use the
-h
option to specify the hostname of the PostgreSQL server. - For more advanced password management, consider using tools like
pgpass
orssh-agent
.
Example Codes for Specifying a Password to psql
Non-Interactively
Using the -c
Option with PGPASSWORD
Environment Variable
export PGPASSWORD=my_password
psql -c "SELECT * FROM my_table;" -d my_database
export PGPASSWORD=my_password
: Sets thePGPASSWORD
environment variable to your desired password.psql -c "SELECT * FROM my_table;" -d my_database
: Executes a SQL command (SELECT * FROM my_table;
) on the specified database (my_database
).
PGPASSWORD=my_password psql -U my_user -d my_database
psql -U my_user -d my_database
: Connects to the specified database (my_database
) as the specified user (my_user
).
PGPASSWORD=my_password psql -f my_script.sql -d my_database
psql -f my_script.sql -d my_database
: Executes the SQL scriptmy_script.sql
on the specified database (my_database
).
Note: Replace my_password
, my_user
, my_database
, and my_script.sql
with your actual values.
Additional Considerations
- Security: Avoid storing passwords in plain text. Consider using password management tools or encrypting your password.
- Environment Variables: The
PGPASSWORD
environment variable is temporary and should be cleared after use to prevent unauthorized access. - Error Handling: Implement error handling in your scripts to gracefully handle connection failures or other exceptions.
- Automation: If you need to automate these tasks frequently, consider using shell scripting or other automation tools.
Using the pgpass
File
Specify credentials: In the
pgpass
file, add a line for each connection, following the format:hostname:port:database:username:password
For example:
localhost:5432:my_database:my_user:my_password
Using ssh-agent
and ssh-add
- Generate a key pair: Use
ssh-keygen
to create a public and private key pair. - Add the private key to
ssh-agent
: Usessh-add
to add your private key tossh-agent
. - Connect using SSH: Connect to the PostgreSQL server using SSH, specifying your username and the host.
- Run
psql
: Once connected via SSH, you can runpsql
without providing a password, as it will use the authenticated SSH connection.
Using pg_service.conf
Specify credentials: Add a service definition to the
pg_service.conf
file, including the password:[my_service] host = localhost port = 5432 dbname = my_database user = my_user password = my_password
Choosing the Right Method:
pgpass
: Suitable for simple setups or when you need to store multiple credentials.ssh-agent
: Ideal for complex environments or when you need to use SSH tunnels.pg_service.conf
: Useful for defining multiple services and simplifying connection strings.
postgresql bash command-line