psql: FATAL: password authentication failed for user "postgres"

[StephanMeijer]

$ sudo docker run --name postgresql -itd --restart always   --env 'PG_PASSWORD=postgres'   --env 'PG_TRUST_LOCALNET=true'   --publish 5432:5432   --volume /srv/docker/postgresql:/var/lib/postgresql   sameersbn/postgresql:9.6-2
59edeb353dec8c503a7f8d86396decfcdb31b98a3b463c3e9c990083fb4dc59e

$ psql -Upostgres -hlocalhost
Password for user postgres: 
psql: FATAL:  password authentication failed for user "postgres"

[zalper]

v10, still reproduced. Solution is:

You need to define a password for user postgres

1. Get container
   docker ps

2. Enter inside of the container
   docker exec -it <hash> bash

3. Start query console
   psql

4. Define password
   ALTER ROLE postgres WITH PASSWORD 'your_password';

Then you may grant other users as superuser and etc. (Make your volume persist)

Container Mgmnt:

Up:
docker-compose up --remove-orphans --force-recreate --build PostgreSQL

Down:
docker-compose down -v

[AhmedBHameed]

@zalper how should i save your steps in the container!!
I did your steps and commit the container but still now saved when running my image again !!
BTW i'm NB to docker.

[eddex]

I had a similar issue, probably not related to the one of @zalper but with the same error message so I'll leave the solution here for anyone having the same problems.

I'm using Windows and had ProstgreSQL 12 installed.

At the same time I tried to run a postgres:10 docker container.

When I tried to connect to the database running in the docker container using psql, I always got an error saying psql: FATAL: password authentication failed for user "postgres".

The issue was that the postgres docker container was using the default port 5432 on localhost and the PostgreSQL server on Windows was using the same port on localhost. However, there were no errors when starting either of them.

Solutions:

• Option 1: Stop the PostgreSQL service on Windows
• Option 2 (using WSL): Completely uninstall Protgres 12 from Windows and install postgresql-client on WSL (sudo apt install postgresql-client-common postgresql-client libpq-dev)
• Option 3: Change the port of the docker container

[august-of-wind]

@eddex Just wanted to chime in to say your Option 1 above fixed this for me after I had been scratching my head for a couple of hours. That solution does not appear anywhere else online that I have been able to find and was extremely helpful. Thanks!

[TJBelcher]

@eddex Thanks! I also benefited from you recalling your problem and solution. I'd not seen it mentioned anywhere else in 2 days of troubleshooting. I had noticed double use of the port in some netstat results, but reasoned it away as being 2 references to the same process since I didn't know postgres 12 was running on my PC. Bad assumption on my part :)

[o-andres-u]

@eddex Thanks a lot. I was having the same issue with my local Postgres installation and the container I was running by using docker. I just stopped the service on Windows and started working.

[nikluwfy]

@eddex also saved the day for me here.

[Mallikanand]

@eddex - after a couple of hours of struggle, this answer helped me.
Didnt realise my Postgres locally starts automatically upon login.
As I didnt need the local version anymore, uninstalled it.

[sameersbn]

/remind me about this on saturday

[reminders]

@sameersbn set a reminder for May 30th 2020

[reminders]

👋 @sameersbn, about this

[khalilahmad0]

@eddex
Thanks man!