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From: "John L. Turner" <jlt@wvinter.net>
Reply-To: jlt@wvinter.net
Organization: JCI Inc.
To: Brett Schwarz <brett_schwarz@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: PGACCESS Error Relative Path @ export table
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 14:45:05 +0000
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	<200207311255.19111.jlt@wvinter.net>
	<1028122329.25431.62.camel@thor>
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Cc: pgsql-interfaces@postgresql.org
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Message-Id: <200207311445.05814.jlt@wvinter.net>

Brett Schwarz, wanted me to know...
> On Wed, 2002-07-31 at 05:55, John L. Turner wrote:
> > Andreas Kretzer, wanted me to know...
> >
> > > On 30.07.2002 at 17:45 John L. Turner wrote:
> > > >Hi:
> > > >
> > > >Newbe trying to learn pgaccess' import / export of tables
> > > >
> > > >ERROR
> > > >"Relative Path not allowed for servers side copy command"
> > > >
> > > >Version downloaded today (Tuesday 30 July 02) was 0.98.8
> > > >( even though the/pgaccess/lib/mainlib.tcl says 0.98.7 )
> > > >
> > > >I opened a test database, created with the command
> > > >psql mytestdb <  /pgaccess/demo/formdemo.sql
> > > >
> > > >Open Data base with no local host given,
> > > >AND with my local host IP #
> > > >
> > > >I did start postmaster with -i
> > > >
> > > >Then From Main pgaccess Menu: Database | Export Table
> > > >Tried to export the table phonebook, received above ERROR
> > > >
> > > >I entered the path /home/jlt/phonebook.txt
> > > >ERROR received.
> > >
> > > Are you sure that the error was the same? It might have been
> > > 'access denied'. Try /tmp/phonebook.txt
> > >
> > > >Also tested ~/phonebook.txt
> > > >Also tested 192.168.110.42:~/phonebook.txt
> > >
> > > Hmm... It should have been possible (except it is explicitly
> > > catched by pgaccess. But of course the home directory
> > > would have been that of the postgres backend processes'
> > > user.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps
> > > Andreas
> >
> > _________________
> > Seem to have found the answer ( at least ONE answer that worked)
> >
> > Turns out that the only directory that I have permission to write to is:
> > /var/lib/pgsql/
> >
> > I started the postmaster -1  as user  postgres
> >
> > SO that leads to the bottom line Question:
> > How does a user in postgresql obtain permissions to other directories ?
>
> This is at the OS level. Pgaccess is really only accessing the file via
> the filesystem of the OS that you are running. You need to make sure
> that the user you start PGAccess with has permissions for those
> files/directories. For example, on Unix machines, you would use chmod.
> If you are on a machine that is maintained by someone else, then you
> would need to ask that person to set the permissions correctly for you.
>

1) My system is Linux SuSE 8.0 release with
 	postgresql-7.2-70
 	pgaccess 0.98.8

2) The database I opened, was created by user postgres as follows:
 >psql mytestdb < /usr/share/doc/packages/postgresql-tk/formdemo.sql
   exited from psql .

3) I started pgaccess as user jlt ( normal user me ). @  /home/jlt
   Within pgaccess, USERS tab, I added jlt (me) as a user.=20

4) Tested import and exporting of a table:
     Can not get permission to read or write to anything
     other than directory:     /var/lib/pgsql
     Was able to import and export files from that one directory.

Is it a security issue that prevents me as a normal user from
accessing those other directories, if so, why do I have permission
to /var/lib/pgsql to copy the file to another directory ( I assume=20
a fat32 mount could allow me to steal that data, because=20
once there, anyone could read/write to it...
Seems like a tangle web has been woven ;-)

> > Thanks to anyone for a kick in pants to find the answer.
> >
> > P.S. Why didn't the original message just say permissions not set for X
> > user ?
>
> I just sent a patch in, so that it gives a decent error message. Not
> sure if it will get applied or not...
>

Would like to see a simular corrected message when trying to Create a NEW
database with pgaccess:

"Tcl error executing pg_exec create database mytestdb

is not a valid postgresq connection"

That type of message is not too helpful to newbies like me.

Best regards for quick replies!
John Turner