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</group>

<arg>-S <replaceable>sort-mem</replaceable></arg>

<arg>-W <replaceable>seconds</replaceable></arg>

<arg>--<replaceable>name</replaceable>=<replaceable>value</replaceable></arg>

<arg choice="plain"><replaceable>database</replaceable></arg>

<sbr>

<!-- postmaster fork -->

<arg>-S <replaceable>sort-mem</replaceable></arg>

<arg>-v <replaceable>protocol-version</replaceable></arg>

<arg>-W <replaceable>seconds</replaceable></arg>

<arg>--<replaceable>name</replaceable>=<replaceable>value</replaceable></arg>

</cmdsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

conceptually, since both <filename>postmaster</filename> and

<filename>postgres</filename> are in fact the same program); it

should not be invoked directly this way. The first form invokes

the server directly in interactive mode. The primary use for this

mode is for bootstrapping by <xref linkend="app-initdb">.

the server directly in interactive single-user mode. The primary use

for this mode is during bootstrapping by <xref linkend="app-initdb">.

Sometimes it is used for debugging or disaster recovery.

</para>

<para>

<para>

The options <option>-A</option>, <option>-B</option>,

<option>-c</option>, <option>-d</option>, <option>-D</option>,

and<option>-F</option>have the samemeaning as with the <xref

linkend="app-postmaster">.

<option>-F</option>, and <option>--name</>have the samemeanings as

for the <xreflinkend="app-postmaster">.

</para>

<variablelist>

<para>

Sends all debugging and error output to

<replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable>.

If the backend is running under the <application>postmaster</application>,

error messages are still sent to the frontend process as well as to

<replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable>,

but debugging output is sent to the controlling tty of the

<application>postmaster</application>

(since only one file descriptor can be sent to an actual file).

If the backend is running under the

<application>postmaster</application>, this option is ignored,

and the stderr inherited from the

<application>postmaster</application> is used.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<term>-P</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Ignore system indexesto scan/update system tuples. The

Ignore system indexeswhile scanning/updating system tuples. The

<command>REINDEX</command> command for system tables/indexes

requires this option to be used.

</para>

</refsect2>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>Usage</title>

<para>

Start a standalone backend with a command like

<screen>

<userinput>postgres -D $PGDATA <replaceable>other-options</> my_database</userinput>

</screen>

Provide the correct path to the database area with <option>-D</>, or

make sure that the environment variable <envar>PGDATA</> is set.

Also specify the name of the particular database you want to work in.

</para>

<para>

Normally, the standalone backend treats newline as the command

entry terminator; there is no intelligence about semicolons,

as there is in <application>psql</>. To continue a command

across multiple lines, you must type backslash just before each

newline except the last one.

</para>

<para>

But if you use the <option>-N</> command line switch, then newline does

not terminate command entry. The backend will read stdin until EOF, then

process the input as a single query string. Backslash-newline is not

treated specially in this case.

</para>

<para>

The standalone backend does not have readline input processing

(no command history, for example).

</para>

<para>

To quit the backend, type EOF (control-D, usually). If you've

used <option>-N</>, two consecutive EOFs are needed to exit.

</para>

</refsect1>

<refsect1>

<title>See Also</title>

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<arg>-o <replaceable>extra-options</replaceable></arg>

<arg>-p <replaceable>port</replaceable></arg>

<arg>-S</arg>

<arg>--<replaceable>name</replaceable>=<replaceable>value</replaceable></arg>

<group><arg>-n</arg><arg>-s</arg></group>

</cmdsynopsis>

</refsynopsisdiv>

Sets a named run-time parameter. Consult the

<citetitle>Administrator's Guide</citetitle> for a list and

descriptions. Most of the other command line options are in

fact short forms of such a parameter assignment.

</para>

<para>

These options may also be specified using the GNU-style long option

format, <option>--name=value</option>.

fact short forms of such a parameter assignment. <option>-c</>

can appear multiple times to set multiple parameters.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>

Sets the debug level. The higher this value is set, the more

debugging output is written to the server log. The default is

0, which means no debugging. Values up to 4 make sense.

0, which means no debugging. Values up to 4 are useful; higher

numbers produce no additional output.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<listitem>

<para>

Disables <function>fsync</function> calls for performance

improvement at the risk of data corruption. Read the detailed

documentation before using this!

improvement, at the risk of data corruption in event of a

system crash. Read the detailed documentation before using this!

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<para>

Sets the maximum number of client connections that this

<application>postmaster</application> will accept. By

default, this value is 32, but it can be set as high as1024

if yoursystem will support that many processes. (Note that

default, this value is 32, but it can be set as high asyour

system will support. (Note that

<option>-B</option> is required to be at least twice

<option>-N</option>.)

<option>-N</option>. See the <citetitle>Administrator's

Guide</citetitle> for a discussion of system resource requirements

for large numbers of client connections.)

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--<replaceable>name</replaceable>=<replaceable>value</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Sets a named run-time parameter; a shorter form of <option>-c</>.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

or <literal>SIGQUIT</literal> can be used. The first will wait for

all clients to terminate before quitting, the second will

forcefully disconnect all clients, and the third will quit

immediately withoutlengthy shutdown, resulting in a recovery run

immediately withoutproper shutdown, resulting in a recovery run

during restart.

</para>

<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>psql</userinput>

</screen>

</para>

<para>

Named runtime parameters can be set in either of these styles:

<screen>

<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>postmaster -c sort_mem=1234</userinput>

<prompt>$</prompt> <userinput>postmaster --sort-mem=1234</userinput>

</screen>

Either form overrides whatever setting might exist for <literal>sort_mem</>

in <filename>postgresql.conf</>. Notice that underscores in parameter

names can be written as either underscore or dash on the command line.

</para>

<tip>

<para>

Except for short-term experiments,

it's probably better practice to edit the setting in

<filename>postgresql.conf</> than to rely on a command-line switch

to set a parameter.

</para>

</tip>

</refsect1>

</refentry>

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<listitem>

<para>

Be aware that the standalone backend treats newline as the command

entry terminator, not semicolon; you can't continue commands across

lines, as you can in <application>psql</>.

entry terminator; there is no intelligence about semicolons,

as there is in <application>psql</>. To continue a command

across multiple lines, you must type backslash just before each

newline except the last one.

Also, you won't have any of the conveniences of readline processing

(no command history, for example).

</para>