---
name: "user_clusters"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "postgresql-client-common"
version: "278"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/user_clusters"
---

# user\_clusters(5)

File linking users to PostgreSQL clusters

## NAME

user\_clusters - File linking users to PostgreSQL clusters

## DESCRIPTION

The file **/etc/postgresql-common/user\_clusters** maps users against the database clusters to which they will connect by default. However, every user can override these settings in **~/.postgresqlrc.**

When scanning this file, the first matching line will be used.  It is a good idea to provide a default explicitly, with a final line where both user and group are set to  **\***.

If there is no default, the implicit default is to connect to the cluster listening on port 5432 and to the database matching the user's login name.

## FORMAT

Comments are introduced by the character **#**. Comments may follow data on a line; the first comment character terminates the data. Leading whitespace and blank lines are ignored.

Each uncommented, non-blank line must describe a user, group or the default (where both user and group are set to **\***).

Fields must be given in the following order, separated by white space:

- **USER**

  The login id of the Unix user to whom this line applies. The wildcard character **\*** means any user.

- **GROUP**

  The group name of the Unix group to which this line applies. The wildcard character **\*** means any group.

- **VERSION**

  The major PostgreSQL version of the cluster to connect to.

- **CLUSTER**

  The name of a cluster to connect to. A remote cluster is specified with *host*:*port*. If port is empty, it defaults to 5432.

- **DATABASE**

  Within the cluster, the database to which the user will connect by default if he does not specify a database on the command line.  If this is **\***, the default database will be the one named by the user's login id.

## NOTES

Since the first matching line is used, the default line must come last.

## SEE ALSO

[**pg\_wrapper**(1)](/pg_wrapper/1.md), **postgresqlrc**(5)