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$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/initdb.sgml,v 1.5 1999/07/22 15:09:12 thomas Exp $

$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/initdb.sgml,v 1.6 1999/12/17 01:05:29 momjian Exp $

Postgres documentation

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<application>initdb</application>

</refname>

<refpurpose>

Create a new <productname>Postgres</productname> database installation

Create a new <productname>PostgreSQL</productname> database installation

</refpurpose>

</refnamediv>

<refsynopsisdiv>

<refsynopsisdivinfo>

<date>1999-07-20</date>

<date>1999-12-17</date>

</refsynopsisdivinfo>

<synopsis>

initdb [ --pgdata=<replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable> | -r <replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable> ]

[ --pglib=<replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable> | -l <replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable> ]

[ --template=<replaceable class="parameter">template</replaceable> | -t <replaceable class="parameter">template</replaceable> ]

[ --username=<replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable> | -u <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable> ]

[ --noclean | -n ] [ --debug | -d ]

initdb [ --pgdata|-D <replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable> ]

[ --sysid|-i <replaceable class="parameter">sysid</replaceable> ]

[ --password|-W <replaceable class="parameter">password</replaceable> ]

[ --pgencoding|-e <replaceable class="parameter">encoding</replaceable> ]

[ --pglib|-L <replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable> ]

[ --username|-u <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable> ]

[ --noclean | -n ] [ --debug | -d ] [ --template | -t ]

</synopsis>

<refsect2 id="R2-APP-INITDB-1">

<refsect2info>

<date>1998-10-02</date>

<date>1999-11-17</date>

</refsect2info>

<title>

Inputs

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term>--pglib=<replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable></term>

<term>-l <replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable></term>

<term><envar>PGLIB</envar></term>

<term>--pgdata=<replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable></term>

<term>-D <replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable></term>

<term><envar>PGDATA</envar></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Where are the files that make up <productname>Postgres</productname>?

Apart from files that

have to go in particular directories because of their function, the

files that make up the <productname>Postgres</productname> software

were installed in a directory

called the <replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable> directory.

An example of a file that will be found

there that <application>initdb</application>

needs is <filename>global1.bki.source</filename>,

which contains all the information that goes

into the shared catalog tables.

This option specifies where in the file system the database should be

stored. This is the only information required by initdb, but you can avoid

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

can be convenient since the database server (<filename>postmaster</filename>)

can find the database directory later by the same variable.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--pgdata=<replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable></term>

<term>-r <replaceable class="parameter">dbdir</replaceable></term>

<term><envar>PGDATA</envar></term>

<term>--sysid=<replaceable class="parameter">sysid</replaceable></term>

<term>-i <replaceable class="parameter">sysid</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Where in your Unix filesystem do you want the database data to go?

The top level directory is called the <envar>PGDATA</envar> directory.

Selects the system id of the database superuser. This defaults to

the effective user id of the user running initdb. It is really

not important what the superuser's sysid is, but one might choose

to start the numbering at some number like 0 or 1.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--username=<replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>

<term>-u <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>

<term><envar>PGUSER</envar></term>

<term>--password=<replaceable class="parameter">password</replaceable></term>

<term>-W <replaceable class="parameter">password</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Who will be the <productname>Postgres</productname> superuser

for this database system? The

<productname>Postgres</productname> superuser is a Unix user

who owns all files that store the database

system and also owns the postmaster and backend processes that access them.

Or just let it default to you (the Unix user who runs

<application>initdb</application>).

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

on using password authentication, this is not important. If you

do, you can save yourself a trip by specifying it here, but you

can always change it later. The default password is empty.

</para>

<note>

<para>

Only the Unix superuser (<literal>root</literal>)

can create a database system with an owner

different from the <productname>Postgres</productname> superuser.

</para>

</note>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term>--pgencoding=<replaceable class="parameter">encoding</replaceable></term>

<term>-e <replaceable class="parameter">encoding</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Selects the multibyte encoding of the template database. This will also

be the default encoding of any database you create later, unless you

override it there. To use the multibyte encoding feature, you must

specify so at build time, at which time you also select the default

for this option.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

<para>

Other, less commonly used, parameters are also available:

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term>--template=<replaceable class="parameter">template</replaceable></term>

<term>-t <replaceable class="parameter">template</replaceable></term>

<term>--pglib=<replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable></term>

<term>-l <replaceable class="parameter">libdir</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

initdb needs a few input files to initialize the database. This option

tells where to find them. You normally don't have to worry about this

since initdb knows about the most common installation layouts and will

find the files itself. You will be told if you need to specify their

location explicitly. If that happens, one of the files is called

<filename>global1.bki.source</filename> and is traditionally installed

along with the others in the library directory (e.g.,

<filename>/usr/local/pgsql/lib</filename>).

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--username=<replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>

<term>-u <replaceable class="parameter">name</replaceable></term>

<listitem>

<para>

The database system will be initialized with the username that is

running initdb. That is a requirement. If for some unimaginable

reason initdb cannot find out what the current user's name is,

you have to use this option. Normally, this will not be necessary

and initdb will tell you when it is.

</para>

</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>,

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

or when your <literal>template1</literal>

database has become corrupted by some system problem. Normally the

contents of <literal>template1</literal>

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

determines that error prevent it from completely creating the database

system, it removes any files it may have created before determining

that it can't finish the job. That includes any core files left by

the programs it invokes. This option inhibits any tidying-up and is

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

thus useful for debugging.

</para>

</listitem>

<term>-d</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Print debugging output from the bootstrap backend.

Print debugging output from the bootstrap backend and a few other

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. It also turns off the final vacuuming step.

amount of output.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

<para>

Files are also input to <application>initdb</application>:

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><application>postconfig</application></term>

<listitem>

<para>

If appearing somewhere in the Unix command search path

(defined by the PATH environment variable).

This is a program that specifies defaults for some of the

command options. See below.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><filename><envar>PGLIB</envar>/global1.bki.source</filename></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Contents for the shared catalog tables in the new database system. This

file is part of the <productname>Postgres</productname> software.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><filename><envar>PGLIB</envar>/local1_template1.bki.source</filename></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Contents for the template1 tables in the new database system. This

file is part of the <productname>Postgres</productname> software.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</para>

</refsect2>

<refsect2 id="R2-APP-INITDB-2">

<refsect2info>

<date>1998-09-26</date>

<date>1999-12-17</date>

</refsect2info>

<title>

Outputs

</title>

<para>

<application>initdb</application> will create files in the

<envar>PGDATA</envar>

<application>initdb</application> will create files in the specified

data area which are the system tables and framework for a complete

installation.

</para>

<refsect1 id="R1-APP-INITDB-1">

<refsect1info>

<date>1998-09-26</date>

<date>1999-12-17</date>

</refsect1info>

<title>

Description

</title>

<para>

<application>initdb</application> creates a new

<productname>Postgres</productname> database system.

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> database system.

A database system is a

collection of databases that are all administered by the same Unix user

and managed by a single postmaster.

the database data will live, generating the shared catalog tables

(tables that don't belong to any particular database), and

creating the <literal>template1</literal>

database. What is the <literal>template1</literal>

database? When you create a database, <productname>Postgres</productname>

does it by copying

everything from the <literal>template1</literal>

database. It contains catalog tables filled in for things like the

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

builtin types.

</para>

<para>

After <application>initdb</application>

creates the database, it completes the initialization by running

<application>vacuum</application>, which resets some optimization parameters.

</para>

<para>

There are three ways to give parameters to <application>initdb</application>.

<itemizedlist>

<listitem>

<para>

You can use <application>initdb</application> command options.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

You can set environment

variables before invoking <application>initdb</application>.

</para>

</listitem>

<listitem>

<para>

You can have a program called <application>postconfig</application>

in your Unix command search path.

<application>initdb</application> invokes that program and that program then writes

<application>initdb</application> parameters to its standard output stream.

This third option is not a common thing to do, however.

</para>

</listitem>

</itemizedlist>

<para>

You must not execute <application>initdb</application> as root. 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, postgres will only connect with

the name of the current Unix user, so you must log in under the account

that will own the server process.

</para>

<para>

Command options always override parameters specified any other way.

The values returned by <application>postconfig</application>

override any environment variables, but your

<application>postconfig</application>

program may base its output on the environment variables if you want

their values to be used.

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.

</para>

<para>

The value that <application>postconfig</application>

outputs must have the format

<synopsis>

<replaceable>var1</replaceable>=<replaceable class="parameter">value1</replaceable> <replaceable class="parameter">var2</replaceable>=<replaceable class="parameter">value2</replaceable> ...

</synopsis>

It can output nothing if it doesn't want to supply any parameters.

The <replaceable>var</replaceable> values are equal to

the corresponding environment variable

names. For example,

<programlisting>

PGDATA=/tmp/postgres_test

</programlisting>

has the

same effect as invoking <application>initdb</application>

with an environment variable called <envar>PGDATA</envar> whose value is

<filename>/tmp/postgres_test</filename>.

Note that if you use the <option>--username</option> you must give correct

information about the name of the <emphasis>current</emphasis> user. If you don't

this will usually manifest itself in an error message about <literal>chmod</literal>

failing on a file <filename>pg_pwd</filename>, because the backend silently

refuses to create it.

</para>

</refsect1>

</refentry>