a really dumb password question

Martin Mueller <martinmueller@northwestern.edu>

From: Martin Mueller <martinmueller@northwestern.edu>
To: "pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org" <pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org>
Date: 2023-06-22T15:05:52Z
Lists: pgsql-general
I have a very stupid password question. I don’t know whether a postgres database on my Mac has a pass word or not.

I access the database via the Aqua Data Studio frontend as the user postgres. I don’t think I ever added a password, and on the authentication panel the password box is empty but the Remember Password box is checked.

However on the user panel there is a sequence of black dots for the Password and Password confirmation. This suggests that I did set a password, but I don’t remember what it is.

How can I undo the damage? Is there some super user way in which I can undo the current password and set a new one. The database itself has several hundred tables, and I need to find a way to fix my stupid error.

I have a dump of the database.  I don’t know whether that is subject to the password or not. If it isn’t, I suppose I could start over from scratch.

I’ll be grateful for advice.

Martin Muelleer
Professor emeritus of English and Classics
Northwestern Univerrsity