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<!--
$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/notation.sgml,v 1.12 2000/12/22 19:31:56 petere Exp $
-->
<sect1 id="terminology">
<title>Terminology</title>
<para>
The
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> <firstterm>superuser</firstterm>
is the user named <replaceable>postgres</replaceable>
who owns the <Productname>Postgres</Productname>
binaries and database files. As the database superuser, all
protection mechanisms may be bypassed and any data accessed
arbitrarily.
In addition, the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser is
allowed to execute
some support programs which are generally not available to all users.
Note that the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser is
<emphasis>not</emphasis>
the same as the Unix superuser (which will be referred to as
<firstterm>root</firstterm>).
The superuser should have a non-zero user identifier
(<firstterm>UID</firstterm>) for security reasons.
</para>
<para>
The
<firstterm>database administrator</firstterm>
or <acronym>DBA</acronym>, is the person who is responsible for installing
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> with mechanisms to
enforce a security policy for a site. The DBA can add new users by
the method described below
and maintain a set of template databases for use by
<application>createdb</application>.
</para>
<para>
The <application>postmaster</application>
is the process that acts as a clearing-house for requests
to the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> system.
Frontend applications connect to the <application>postmaster</application>,
which keeps tracks of any system errors and communication between the
backend processes. The <application>postmaster</application>
can take several command-line arguments to tune its behavior.
However, supplying arguments is necessary only if you intend to run multiple
sites or a non-default site.
</para>
<para>
The <Productname>Postgres</Productname> backend
(the actual executable program <application>postgres</application>) may be executed
directly from the user shell by the
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> super-user
(with the database name as an argument). However,
doing this bypasses the shared buffer pool and lock table associated
with a postmaster/site, therefore this is not recommended in a multiuser
site.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1 id="notation">
<title>Notation</title>
<para>
"<literal>...</literal>" or <filename>/usr/local/pgsql/</filename>
at the front of a file name is used to represent the
path to the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser's home directory.
</para>
<para>
In a command synopsis, brackets
("<literal>[</literal>" and "<literal>]</literal>") indicate an optional phrase or keyword.
Anything in braces
("<literal>{</literal>" and "<literal>}</literal>") and containing vertical bars
("<literal>|</literal>")
indicates that you must choose one.
</para>
<para>
In examples, parentheses ("<literal>(</literal>" and "<literal>)</literal>") are
used to group boolean
expressions. "<literal>|</literal>" is the boolean operator OR.
</para>
<para>
Examples will show commands executed from various accounts and programs.
Commands executed from the root account will be preceeded with
"<literal>></literal>".
Commands executed from the <Productname>Postgres</Productname>
superuser account will be preceeded with "<literal>%</literal>", while commands
executed from an unprivileged user's account will be preceeded with
"<literal>$</literal>".
<acronym>SQL</acronym> commands will be preceeded with "<literal>=></literal>"
or will have no leading prompt, depending on the context.
</para>
<note>
<para>
At the time of writing (<Productname>Postgres</Productname> 7.0)
the notation for
flagging commands is not universally consistant throughout the
documentation set.
Please report problems to
<ulink url="mailto:docs@postgresql.org">the Documentation Mailing List</ulink>.
</para>
</note>
</sect1>
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