PostgreSQL 8.0.0rc4 Documentation
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# 41.26. `pg_shadow`

The catalog `pg_shadow` contains information about database users. The name stems from the fact that this table should not be readable by the public since it contains passwords. `pg_user` is a publicly readable view on `pg_shadow` that blanks out the password field.

Chapter 17 contains detailed information about user and privilege management.

Because user identities are cluster-wide, `pg_shadow` is shared across all databases of a cluster: there is only one copy of `pg_shadow` per cluster, not one per database.

Table 41-26. `pg_shadow` Columns

Name | Type | References | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
`usename` | `name` |  | User name
`usesysid` | `int4` |  | User ID (arbitrary number used to reference this user)
`usecreatedb` | `bool` |  | User may create databases
`usesuper` | `bool` |  | User is a superuser
`usecatupd` | `bool` |  | User may update system catalogs. (Even a superuser may not do this unless this column is true.)
`passwd` | `text` |  | Password (possibly encrypted)
`valuntil` | `abstime` |  | Password expiry time (only used for password authentication)
`useconfig` | `text[]` |  | Session defaults for run-time configuration variables

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