</programlisting>

The database you are trying to connect to does not exist. Note that

if you do not specify a database name, it defaults to the database

user name, which might or might not be the right thing.

user name.

</para>

<tip>

<application>psql</application> is a regular

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> client application. In order

to connect to a database you need to know the name of your target

database, the host name and port number of the server, and what user

name you want to connect as. <application>psql</application> can be

told about those parameters via command line options, namely

database, the host name and port number of the server, and what

database username you want to connect as. <application>psql</application>

can betold about those parameters via command line options, namely

<option>-d</option>, <option>-h</option>, <option>-p</option>, and

<option>-U</option> respectively. If an argument is found that does

not belong to any option it will be interpreted as the database name

(or the user name, if the database name is already given). Not all

(or thedatabaseuser name, if the database name is already given). Not all

of these options are required; there are useful defaults. If you omit the host

name, <application>psql</application> will connect via a Unix-domain socket

to a server on the local host, or via TCP/IP to <literal>localhost</literal> on

Windows. The default port number is

determined at compile time.

Since the database server uses the same default, you will not have

to specify the port in most cases. The default user name is your

operating-system user name, as is the default database name.

to specify the port in most cases. The default database user name is your

operating-system user name. Once the database user name is determined, it

is used as the default database name.

Note that you cannot

just connect to any database under any user name. Your database

just connect to any database under anydatabaseuser name. Your database

administrator should have informed you about your access rights.

</para>