psql denies access to file when using COPY FROM
drwxr--r-- 6 peter peter 4096 2011-04-14 14:03 phm

postgres@dexter:/home/peter/PyPacks$ cd phm

bash: cd: phm: Permission denied



Directories need to be executable to be able to cd into them (or use files within them). All the sub-directory from / to the /home/peter/PyPacks/phm need to be executable by the user you want to use for this to work.

Try at least chmod 711 phm (which should give you rwx--x--x), or perhaps chmod 755 phm (rwxr-xr-x). r for directories is the ability to list their content, not to go into them (or use files/directories within them).