The PostgreSQL superuser

In this recipe, you will learn how to grant right to a user to become a superuser.

A PostgreSQL superuser is a user that can do anything in the database, regardless of what privileges it has been granted. Many cloud databases do not allow this level of privilege to be granted. It is normal to place strict controls on users of this type.

How to do it…

1. A user becomes a superuser when it is created with the SUPERUSER attribute set:

CREATE USER username SUPERUSER;

2. A user can be deprived of its superuser status by removing the SUPERUSER attribute, using this command:

ALTER USER username NOSUPERUSER;

3. A user can be restored to superuser status later, using the following command:

ALTER USER username SUPERUSER;

4. When neither SUPERUSER nor NOSUPERUSER is given in the CREATE USER command, then the default is to create a user who is not a superuser.

How it works…

Rights to some operations in PostgreSQL are not available by default and need to be granted specifically to users. They must...