<!--

$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/initdb.sgml,v 1.14 2000/12/25 23:15:26 petere Exp $

$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/initdb.sgml,v 1.15 2001/01/20 22:09:24 tgl Exp $

Postgres documentation

-->

<arg>-L <replaceable>directory</replaceable></arg>

<group><arg>--noclean</arg><arg>-n</arg></group>

<group><arg>--debug</arg><arg>-d</arg></group>

<group><arg>--template</arg><arg>-t</arg></group>

</cmdsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

<para>

Creating a database system consists of creating the directories in which

the database data will live, generating the shared catalog tables

(tables thatdo not belongto any particular database), and

creating the <literal>template1</literal>

(tables thatbelong to the whole cluster rather thanto any particular

database), andcreating the <literal>template1</literal>

database. When you create a new database, everything in the

<literal>template1</literal> database is copied.

It contains catalog tables filled in for things like the

built-in types.

</para>

<para>

You must not execute <application>initdb</application> as root. This is

because you cannot run the database server as root either, but the

You must not execute <application>initdb</application> as root; it must

be run by the Unix user account that will run the database server.

This is because you cannot run the database server as root either, but the

server needs to have access to the files <application>initdb</application>

creates. Furthermore, during the initialization phase, when there are no

users and no access controls installed, <productname>Postgres</productname>

</para>

<para>

Although <application>initdb</application> will attempt to create the respective

data directory, chances are that it won't have the permission to do so. Thus

it is a good idea to create the data directory before running <application>initdb</application>

<emphasis>and</emphasis> to hand over the ownership of it to the database superuser.

Although <application>initdb</application> will attempt to create the

specified data directory, often it won't have permission to do so,

since the parent of the desired data directory is often a root-owned

directory. To set up an arrangement like this, create an empty data

directory as root, then use <application>chown</application> to hand over

ownership of that directory to the database user account, then

<application>su</application> to become the database user, and

finally run <application>initdb</application> as the database user.

</para>

<refsect2>

<para>

This option specifies where in the file system the database

should be stored. This is the only information required by

<application>initdb</application>, but you can avoid it by

<application>initdb</application>, but you can avoidwritingit by

setting the <envar>PGDATA</envar> environment variable, which

can be convenient since the database server

(<filename>postmaster</filename>) can find the database

<listitem>

<para>

Makes <application>initdb</application> prompt for a password

of the database superuser. If you don't plan on using password

to give the database superuser. If you don't plan on using password

authentication, this is not important. Otherwise you won't be

able to use password authentication until you have a password

set up.

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--template</term>

<term>-t</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Replace the <literal>template1</literal>

database in an existing database system, and don't touch anything else.

This is useful when you need to upgrade your <literal>template1</literal>

database using <application>initdb</application>

from a newer release of <productname>Postgres</productname>,

or when your <literal>template1</literal>

database has become corrupted by some system problem. Normally the

contents of <literal>template1</literal>

remain constant throughout the life of the database system. You can't

destroy anything by running <application>initdb</application>

with the

<option>--template</option>

option.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--noclean</term>

<term>-n</term>

<listitem>

<para>

By default, when <application>initdb</application>

determines that an error prevented it from completely creating the database

system, it removes any files it may have created beforedetermining

that it can't finish the job. This option inhibitsanytidying-up and is

system, it removes any files it may have created beforediscovering

that it can't finish the job. This option inhibits tidying-up and is

thus useful for debugging.

</para>

</listitem>

messages of lesser interest for the general public.

The bootstrap backend is the program <application>initdb</application>

uses to create the catalog tables. This option generates a tremendous

amount of output.

amount ofextremely boringoutput.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

if ["$noclean"!= yes ];then

if ["$template_only"!= yes ]&& ["$made_new_pgdata"= yes ];then

if ["$made_new_pgdata"= yes ];then

rm -rf"$PGDATA"||echo"Failed."1>&2

debug=

noclean=

template_only=

show_setting=

noclean=yes

;;

--template|-t)

template_only=yes

;;

--sysid|-i)

POSTGRES_SUPERUSERID="$2"

-D*)

PGDATA=`echo$1| sed's/^-D//'`

;;

-L)

datadir="$2"

pgdata_contents=`ls -A"$PGDATA"2>/dev/null`

if [ x"$pgdata_contents"!= x ]

if ["$template_only"!= yes ]

(

)1>&2

exit 1

(

)1>&2

exit 1

if [!-d"$PGDATA" ];then

if ["$template_only"!= yes ]

["$debug"= yes ]&&echo"Running:$PGPATH/postgres$BACKENDARGS template1"

cat"$GLOBAL_BKI" \

| sed -e"s/POSTGRES/$POSTGRES_SUPERUSERNAME/g" \

-e"s/PGUID/$POSTGRES_SUPERUSERID/g" \

-e"s/ENCODING/$MULTIBYTEID/g" \

|"$PGPATH"/postgres$BACKENDARGS template1 \

|| exit_nicely

echo$short_version>"$PGDATA/PG_VERSION"|| exit_nicely

cp"$PG_HBA_SAMPLE""$PGDATA"/pg_hba.conf|| exit_nicely

cp"$PG_IDENT_SAMPLE""$PGDATA"/pg_ident.conf|| exit_nicely

cp"$POSTGRESQL_CONF_SAMPLE""$PGDATA"/postgresql.conf|| exit_nicely

chmod 0600"$PGDATA"/pg_hba.conf"$PGDATA"/pg_ident.conf \

"$PGDATA"/postgresql.conf

["$debug"= yes ]&&echo"Running:$PGPATH/postgres$BACKENDARGS template1"

cat"$GLOBAL_BKI" \

| sed -e"s/POSTGRES/$POSTGRES_SUPERUSERNAME/g" \

-e"s/PGUID/$POSTGRES_SUPERUSERID/g" \

-e"s/ENCODING/$MULTIBYTEID/g" \

|"$PGPATH"/postgres$BACKENDARGS template1 \

|| exit_nicely

echo$short_version>"$PGDATA/PG_VERSION"|| exit_nicely

cp"$PG_HBA_SAMPLE""$PGDATA"/pg_hba.conf|| exit_nicely

cp"$PG_IDENT_SAMPLE""$PGDATA"/pg_ident.conf|| exit_nicely

cp"$POSTGRESQL_CONF_SAMPLE""$PGDATA"/postgresql.conf|| exit_nicely

chmod 0600"$PGDATA"/pg_hba.conf"$PGDATA"/pg_ident.conf \

"$PGDATA"/postgresql.conf