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From: Andrew DeFaria <Andrew AT DeFaria DOT com>
Subject: Re: su alternative for Win2k
Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 13:07:10 -0800
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Message-ID: <cte8r9$ok7$1@sea.gmane.org>
References: <41FAA56C DOT 9040508 AT buddydog DOT org>
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Jonathan Arnold wrote:

> I was just installing postgreSQL and ran across the problem with 
> getting initdb to run as the postgres user. As expected, I could 
> neither su nor login to work. Searching the archives and the like for 
> a fix, the most often specified one was to use ssh.  But as I don't 
> run sshd, and it seems a shame to have to run this just to get an 
> su-like behaviour, that wouldn't work for me.
>
> I finally hit upon the following solution.  Maybe its in the archives, 
> maybe not, but I thought I would post it (again?) to maybe save 
> someone the hour or so I spent thrashing around the problem.
>
> 1] Create a shortcut to bash on your desktop
>
> 2] Now right-click on it and select Properties
>
> 3] Select the Shortcut tab and append the '-l' (that's dash el) to the 
> Target: to make it be a login shell
>
> 4] a] Win2k : Select the "Run as different user" check box
>    b] WinXP : click on the Advanced button and check "Run with
>       different credentials"
>
> Now when you click this shortcut, you will be prompted for the user to 
> run bash as.  Type in postgres and the password, and voila - you have 
> a bash shell running as the selected user. Make running initdb and, 
> just as importantly, createuser a piece of cake.  Assuming, of course, 
> you have the paths correct.

No need to go through all those steps. Just use runas (try runas /?). 
It's a Windows command that does essentially what you want from the 
command line.

-- 
This is as bad as it can get, but don't bet on it.


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