How to Change Postgresql's Postgres Password

This is how you would change your PostgreSQL user postgres password, in case you forgot it. This is done in ubuntu 12.04.

1.) Logon to your postgres account in behalf of root:

>sudo -u postgres psql template1
//enter your password

Now you're into postgres

2.) Go into psql

>psql
>alter user postgres with encrypted password <your_password>

3.) Press ctrl+d and it's done.

Here's another method I learned:
1.) Open pg_hba.conf
Change: local all postgres peer
To: local all postgres trust

2.) Restart the server: sudo service postgresql restart

3.) Login and update the postgres password:

psql -U postgres
alter user postgres with password 'password';

4.) Finally, allow password-based authentication on pg_hba.conf.
Change: local all postgres trust
To: local all postgres md5

I might as well share how to enable remote access to a PostgreSQL server, there are 2 files that should be modified:

1.) listen to a remote IP or all

>sudo vi /etc/postgresql/9.1/main/postgresql.conf
//change listen_addresses='localhost' to listen_addresses='*'
//or specific ip listen_addresses='x.x.x.x'

2.) Allow client authentication

>sudo vi /etc/postgresql/9.1/main/pg_hba.conf
//local
host all all 127.0.0.1/32 trust
//for ipv4
host all all x.x.x.x/24 md5

References:

• https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/auth-methods.html