Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:39:52 -0500
From: Ray Stell <stellr@cns.vt.edu>
To: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: VACUUM WARNING:  skipping "pg_statistic" --- only table or
	database owner can vacuum it
Message-ID: <20100209223952.GA11857@cns.vt.edu>
References: <20100130145936.GA12509@cns.vt.edu>
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On Sat, Jan 30, 2010 at 09:59:36AM -0500, Ray Stell wrote:
> Running 8.2.15 on RHEL4 the log reports this from autovacuum along with 
> other pg_ tables:
> 
> VACUUM WARNING:  skipping "pg_database" --- only table or database owner can vacuum it


More logging shows the user generating the msg is not superuser.  The user
is named "admin," as it is an application administrator and it chokes
on all the rels in information_schema and pg_catalog.

fms=# select * from pg_user where usename = 'admin';
 usename | usesysid | usecreatedb | usesuper | usecatupd |  passwd  | valuntil | useconfig
---------+----------+-------------+----------+-----------+----------+----------+-----------
 admin   |    16385 | f           | f        | f         | ******** |          |
(1 row)

Superuser owns these rels:

fms=# select * from pg_tables where tablename = 'sql_sizing';
     schemaname     | tablename  | tableowner | tablespace | hasindexes | hasrules | hastriggers
--------------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+----------+-------------
 information_schema | sql_sizing | postgres   |            | f          | f        | f
(1 row)

This vacuum.c if clause that gets to the warning msg:

        if (!(pg_class_ownercheck(RelationGetRelid(onerel), GetUserId()) ||
                  (pg_database_ownercheck(MyDatabaseId, GetUserId()) && !onerel->rd_rel->relisshared)))

The following printf in the vacuum.c clause shows all is well, but 
raises some questions:  

  1  pg_class_ownercheck(RelationGetRelid(onerel), GetUserId())=0
  2  RelationGetRelid(onerel)=sql_sizing
  3  GetUserId()=16385
  4  pg_database_ownercheck(MyDatabaseId, GetUserId())=0
  5  MyDatabaseId=16384
  6  onerel->rd_rel->relisshared=0

Is autovacuum handing all users off to vacuum all rels?  Even those
it does not own?  Perhaps "admin" an unfortunate usename choice?

Thanks.