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ALTER
NAME
  ALTER ROLE - change a database role

SYNOPSIS
  ALTER ROLE name [ [ WITH ] option [ ... ] ]

  where option can be:

	SUPERUSER | NOSUPERUSER
      | CREATEDB | NOCREATEDB
      | CREATEROLE | NOCREATEROLE
      | CREATEUSER | NOCREATEUSER
      | INHERIT | NOINHERIT
      | LOGIN | NOLOGIN
      | CONNECTION LIMIT connlimit
      | [ ENCRYPTED | UNENCRYPTED ] PASSWORD 'password'
      | VALID UNTIL 'timestamp'

  ALTER ROLE name RENAME TO newname

  ALTER ROLE name SET configuration_parameter { TO | = } { value | DEFAULT }
  ALTER ROLE name RESET configuration_parameter

DESCRIPTION
  ALTER ROLE changes the attributes of a PostgreSQL role.

  The first variant of this command listed in the synopsis can change many of
  the role attributes that can be specified in CREATE ROLE [create_role(5)],
  which see for details. (All the possible attributes are covered, except
  that there are no options for adding or removing memberships; use GRANT
  [grant(5)] and REVOKE [revoke(5)] for that.) Attributes not mentioned in
  the command retain their previous settings.  Database superusers can change
  any of these settings for any role.  Roles having CREATEROLE privilege can
  change any of these settings, but only for non-superuser roles.  Ordinary
  roles can only change their own password.

  The second variant changes the name of the role.  Database superusers can
  rename any role.  Roles having CREATEROLE privilege can rename non-
  superuser roles.  The current session user cannot be renamed.	 (Connect as
  a different user if you need to do that.) Because MD5-encrypted passwords
  use the role name as cryptographic salt, renaming a role clears its
  password if the password is MD5-encrypted.

  The third and the fourth variant change a role's session default for a
  specified configuration variable. Whenever the role subsequently starts a
  new session, the specified value becomes the session default, overriding
  whatever setting is present in postgresql.conf or has been received from
  the postgres command line.  (For a role without LOGIN privilege, session
  defaults have no effect.) Ordinary roles can change their own session
  defaults.  Superusers can change anyone's session defaults.  Roles having
  CREATEROLE privilege can change defaults for non-superuser roles.  Certain
  variables cannot be set this way, or can only be set if a superuser issues
  the command.

PARAMETERS
  name The name of the role whose attributes are to be altered.

  SUPERUSER

  NOSUPERUSER

  CREATEDB

  NOCREATEDB

  CREATEROLE

  NOCREATEROLE

  CREATEUSER

  NOCREATEUSER

  INHERIT

  NOINHERIT

  LOGIN

  NOLOGIN

  CONNECTION LIMIT connlimit

  PASSWORD password

  ENCRYPTED

  UNENCRYPTED

  VALID UNTIL 'timestamp'
       These clauses alter attributes originally set by CREATE ROLE
       [create_role(5)], which see for more information.

  newname
       The new name of the role.

  configuration_parameter

  value
       Set this role's session default for the specified configuration
       parameter to the given value. If value is DEFAULT or, equivalently,
       RESET is used, the role-specific variable setting is removed, so the
       role will inherit the system-wide default setting in new sessions. Use
       RESET ALL to clear all role-specific settings.

       See SET [set(5)] and in the documentation for more information about
       allowed parameter names and values.

NOTES
  Use CREATE ROLE [create_role(5)] to add new roles, and DROP ROLE
  [drop_role(5)] to remove a role.

  ALTER ROLE cannot change a role's memberships.  Use GRANT [grant(5)] and
  REVOKE [revoke(5)] to do that.

  Caution must be exercised when specifying an unencrypted password with this
  command. The password will be transmitted to the server in cleartext, and
  it might also be logged in the client's command history or the server log.
  psql [psql(1)] contains a command \password that can be used to safely
  change a role's password.

  It is also possible to tie a session default to a specific database rather
  than to a role; see ALTER DATABASE [alter_database(5)].  Role-specific
  settings override database-specific ones if there is a conflict.

EXAMPLES
  Change a role's password:

  ALTER ROLE davide WITH PASSWORD 'hu8jmn3';

  Change a password expiration date, specifying that the password should
  expire at midday on 4th May 2015 using the time zone which is one hour
  ahead of UTC:

  ALTER ROLE chris VALID UNTIL 'May 4 12:00:00 2015 +1';

  Make a password valid forever:

  ALTER ROLE fred VALID UNTIL 'infinity';

  Give a role the ability to create other roles and new databases:

  ALTER ROLE miriam CREATEROLE CREATEDB;

  Give a role a non-default setting of the maintenance_work_mem parameter:

  ALTER ROLE worker_bee SET maintenance_work_mem = 100000;

COMPATIBILITY
  The ALTER ROLE statement is a PostgreSQL extension.

SEE ALSO
  CREATE ROLE [create_role(5)], DROP ROLE [drop_role(l)], SET [set(l)]

Index for Section ROLE

Alphabetical listing for A

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