dropuser

Prompt for confirmation and the username before user removal

$ dropuser [[-i|--interactive]]

$ dropuser [username]

$ dropuser --if-exists [username]

$ dropuser [[-h|--host]] 127.0.0.1 [[-p|--port]] 4321 [username]

$ dropuser [[-U|--username]] admin [[-h|--host]] 127.0.0.1 [[-p|--port]] 4321 [username]

dropuser [OPTION]... [ROLENAME]

-d DBNAME, --dbname=DBNAME
    connect to database DBNAME (default: current user name)

-e, --echo
    echo SQL commands before executing

-h HOSTNAME, --host=HOSTNAME
    server host or socket directory (default: local socket)

--if-exists
    skip error if role does not exist

-p PORT, --port=PORT
    server port (default: 5432)

-r ROLE, --role=ROLE
    connect using role ROLE (default: current user)

-s, --superuser
    connect as superuser

-V, --version
    print version and exit

-W, --password
    force password prompt

-w, --no-password
    never prompt for password

-?, --help
    show help and exit

dropuser is a PostgreSQL client utility for removing a specified database role (user). It connects to a PostgreSQL server and issues the SQL DROP ROLE command, synonymous with DROP USER. Ideal for script-based administration without a GUI.

By default, it uses the current system username for both database connection and role to drop, connecting via Unix socket to the default port (5432). Options customize connection details like host, port, username, and authentication. Superuser privileges are typically required, as non-superusers can only drop roles they own with no objects or grants.

Dropping fails if the role owns database objects, has privileges on objects, or active sessions exist. Use pg_terminate_backend() or revoke privileges first. Supports --if-exists to avoid errors for non-existent roles. Equivalent to running psql -c "DROP ROLE rolname".

Not a core Linux command; requires PostgreSQL installation. Man page in section 1.

Requires superuser to drop non-owned roles, superusers, or roles with objects/grants/sessions. Fails silently on constraints unless superuser. Does not drop system users, only DB roles.

dropuser johnny
dropuser --host=localhost --port=5433 --username=postgres myuser
dropuser --if-exists nonexistent

Role must own no objects and have no active backends; use REASSIGN OWNED and DROP OWNED first if needed.

Introduced in PostgreSQL 6.5 (1999); stable wrapper for DROP ROLE since 8.1 (2005). Maintained across versions with minor option additions like --if-exists in 9.2.

createuser(1), psql(1), dropdb(1), DROP ROLE(l)