pg_shadow

PostgreSQL 7.3.4 Documentation
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# 3.26. pg_shadow

`pg_shadow` contains information about database users. The name stems from the fact that this table should not be readable by the public since it contains passwords. `pg_user` is a publicly readable view on `pg_shadow` that blanks out the password field.

The Administrator's Guide contains detailed information about user and permission management.

Because user identities are cluster-wide, `pg_shadow` is shared across all databases of a cluster: there is only one copy of `pg_shadow` per cluster, not one per database.

Table 3-26. pg_shadow Columns

Name | Type | References | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
usename | `name` |  | User name
usesysid | `int4` |  | User id (arbitrary number used to reference this user)
usecreatedb | `bool` |  | User may create databases
usesuper | `bool` |  | User is a superuser
usecatupd | `bool` |  | User may update system catalogs. (Even a superuser may not do this unless this attribute is true.)
passwd | `text` |  | Password
valuntil | `abstime` |  | Account expiry time (only used for password authentication)
useconfig | `text[]` |  | Session defaults for run-time configuration variables

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