What user are PHP database queries executed as?

[arabub]

I have an installation of Apache that apparently includes PHP (out of
the box Redhat 9.0).

If I make database calls to Postgresql, as what user is that call
going to be made? The user that Apache is running as? Can I specify
the user that the call is to be made as?

Thanks,
--Ulf

[Chris Hope]

Re: What user are PHP database queries executed as?

arabub wrote:
[color=blue]
> If I make database calls to Postgresql, as what user is that call
> going to be made? The user that Apache is running as? Can I specify
> the user that the call is to be made as?[/color]

There are two different types of users here

1) The user that the Postgresql database server runs as. This is a system
user as defined in the /etc/passwd file.

2) The database user that you connect to the database as. This is a database
defined user, and it not the same as the type of user in (1).

When you create a new database you can assign a login name and password to
access that database. When you connect to the database you pass the login
name and password as defined in the database to connect to a specific
database.

This example is from the PHP manual (www.php.net/pg-connect):
pg_connect("dbn ame=mary user=lamb password=foo");

In this example you are connecting to a database called "mary" as the user
"lamb". That user is who you are connecting to Postgresql as, and is a
database defined user, not a system defined one.

If you do not specify a login name and password that has already been set up
in Postgres then you won't be able to connect.

--
Chris Hope - The Electric Toolbox - http://www.electrictoolbox.com/