System User Requirements

Vertica has specific requirements for the system user that runs and manages Vertica. If you specify a user during install, but the user does not exist, then the installer reports this issue with the identifier: S0200.

System User Requirement Details

Vertica requires a system user to own database files and run database processes and administration scripts. By default, the install script automatically configures and creates this user for you with the username dbadmin. See About Linux Users Created by Vertica and Their Privileges for details on the default user created by the install script. If you decide to manually create your own system user, then you must create the user before you run the install script. If you manually create the user:

• the user must have the same username and password on all nodes
• the user must use the BASH shell as the user's default shell. If not, then the installer reports this issue with identifier [S0240].

• the user must be in the verticadba group (for example: usermod -a -G verticadba userNameHere). If not, the installer reports this issue with identifier [S0220].

  Note: You must create a verticadba group on all nodes. If you do not, then the installer reports the issue with identifier [S0210].

• the user's login group must be either verticadba or a group with the same name as the user (for example, the home group for dbadmin is dbadmin). You can check the groups for a user with the id command. For example: id dbadmin. The "gid" group is the user's primary group. If this is not configured correctly then the installer reports this issue with the identifier [S0230]. Vertica recommends that you use verticadba as the user's primary login group. For example: usermod -g verticadba userNameHere. If the user's primary group is not verticadba as suggested, then the installer reports this with HINT [S0231].
• the user must have a home directory. If not, then the installer reports this issue with identifier [S0260].
• the user's home directory must be owned by the user. If not, then the installer reports the issue with identifier [S0270].
• the system must be aware of the user's home directory (you can set it with the usermod command: usermod -m -d /path/to/new/home/dir userNameHere). If this is not configured correctly then the installer reports the issue with [S0250].
• the user's home directory must be owned by the dbadmin's primary group (use the chown and chgrp commands if necessary). If this is not configured correctly, then the installer reports the issue with identifier [S0280].
• the user's home directory should have secure permissions. Specifically, it should not be writable by anyone or by the group. Ideally the permissions should be, when viewing with ls, "---" (nothing), or "r-x" (read and execute). If this is not configured as suggested then the installer reports this with HINT [S0290].