Authentication answers the question: Who is the user? PostgreSQL supports several authentication methods, including the following:
- Trust: Anyone who can connect to the server is authorized to access the database/databases as specified in the pg_hba.conf configuration file. Often used to allow connection using Unix domain socket on a single user machine to access the database. This method can also be used with TCP/IP, but it is rare to allow connection from any IP address other than the localhost.
- Ident: This works by getting the client's operating system user name from an ident server and then using it to access the database server. This method is recommend for closed networks where client machines are subject to tight controls by system administrators.
- Peer: This works in a similar manner to ident, but the client's operating system username...
