Using pg_dump when connecting via a service

Question

I connect to my postgres server using psql "service=subscription". How do I use the service with pg_dump?

I tried to do the following: pg_dump -h "service=subscription" > /home/fogest/dump.out

This however did not work.

How should I be doing this?

Edit: The error when I do the following:

pg_dump -h "service=subscription" odyssey_prod > /u3/jhvisser/dump.out
pg_dump: [archiver (db)] connection to database "odyssey_prod" failed: could not translate host name "service=subscription" to address: Name or service not known

"Did not work". What, exactly, did not work - what happened or did not happen? Do you have a `~/.pg_service.conf` file? — Craig Ringer, Apr 10 '14 at 02:01
@CraigRinger Yes I have a `pg_service` file. I updated the original post with details. — ComputerLocus, Apr 10 '14 at 02:22
What happens when you use connection options with `pg_dump` the same way you used them with `psql`, e.g. `pg_dump "service=subscription" ...` ? — Milen A. Radev, Apr 10 '14 at 04:23
@CraigRinger I currently can't check, but it should be running the latest version and on Ubuntu 12.04. I can check the version later if needed. — ComputerLocus, Apr 10 '14 at 13:48
@MilenA.Radev It returns an error stating I have too many parameters. It seems to treat the `"service=subscription"` part as the database name. — ComputerLocus, Apr 10 '14 at 13:49

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 10 '14 at 13:52

6

You can't use -h to specify a connection-string. It can only be an actual hostname or IP.

To connect to a service (or use any other connection string) just pass it as a non-switch argument:

psql "service=subscription"

or (I know this is counter-intuitive) pass it as the database name:

psql -d "service=subscription"

answered Apr 10 '14 at 13:52

Craig Ringer

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Okay, but does this work with `pg_dump`? – ComputerLocus Apr 10 '14 at 14:15
Yes; any libpq client. – Craig Ringer Apr 10 '14 at 14:30

Using pg_dump when connecting via a service

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