v.19.1Improvements

Usability Improvement: Added a Check That Server Process Is Started from the Data Directory's Owner

Usability improvement: added a check that server process is started from the data directory's owner. Do not allow to start server from root if the data belongs to non-root user. #3785 (sergey-v-galtsev)
Added a security check to ensure the ClickHouse server process is started only by the owner of the data directory, preventing the server from being run as root when data belongs to a non-root user.

Why it matters

This feature enhances server security by preventing unauthorized or unsafe startup conditions. It avoids potential permission conflicts and security risks by disallowing the server from running as root if the data directory is owned by a different user.

How to use it

No explicit user action is required. When starting the ClickHouse server, it will automatically verify the ownership of the data directory and refuse to start if the conditions are not met. Ensure the server is started by the user owning the data directory permissions.