Problem of installation on Mac

I just install it as my own user on my laptop... I usually do something like
./configure --prefix=/Users/myaccount/pgsql
make && make install

then

cd ~/
pgsql/bin/initdb -D /Users/myaccount/pgsql/data
pgsql/bin/pg_ctl _D /Users/myaccount/pgsql/data start

and I'm off to the races ;-)

Good luck!

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

Hi, I am a newbie for pgsql and tried to install it on my MacBookPro
Intel. I got everything correct until creating the user: postgres and
initdb, then the error message showed up for running the db. How to fix
the problem?

LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17837
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su: logfile: Permission denied

[1]+ Exit 1 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su lizhexu
Password:
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17842
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb test
createdb: could not connect to database postgres: could not connect to
server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
[1]+ Exit 2 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1

Thank you very much.

L

I would say the problem is when you are logged in as pgsql the >logfile
part tries to put the log file in the current working directory
(/Users/lizhexu in your example). Your pgsql user doesn't have
permission to write the log file there. When you are logged in as
lizhexu you don't get permission to read the data files. Also it should
be >>logfile changing >logfile to >>/usr/local/pgsql/data/logfile will
most likely fix the problem.

I would suggest looking into contrib/start-scripts (from the source
distro) - look at PostgreSQL.darwin - the comments at the top should get
you started. These steps will have postgres running when you startup
your Mac.

You will need to change PGUSER="postgres" to PGUSER="pgsql", leave the
rest and try running it.

hint - with startup scripts if you don't want to restart you can use -
sudo /Library/StartupItems/PostgreSQL/PostgreSQL start

Also which version are you installing and did you get a binary package
somewhere or are you building from source?

--

Shane Ambler
pgSQL@Sheeky.Biz

Get Sheeky @ http://Sheeky.Biz

Thank you very much Shane. It fixed my problem, at least now :-).

I installed the pgsql 8.2.5 from source. The user "postgres" has a
shortname of "pgsql".

Another question, what's the purpose/advantage to create a user of
postgres? May I just create the database under my user account?

Shane Ambler <pgsql@Sheeky.Biz>
10/18/2007 01:27 PM

To
Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov
cc
pgsql-general@postgresql.org
Subject
Re: [GENERAL] Problem of installation on Mac

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

Hi, I am a newbie for pgsql and tried to install it on my MacBookPro
Intel. I got everything correct until creating the user: postgres and
initdb, then the error message showed up for running the db. How to fix
the problem?

LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17837
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su: logfile: Permission denied

[1]+ Exit 1 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su lizhexu
Password:
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17842
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb test
createdb: could not connect to database postgres: could not connect to
server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
[1]+ Exit 2 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1

Thank you very much.

L

I would say the problem is when you are logged in as pgsql the >logfile
part tries to put the log file in the current working directory
(/Users/lizhexu in your example). Your pgsql user doesn't have
permission to write the log file there. When you are logged in as
lizhexu you don't get permission to read the data files. Also it should
be >>logfile changing >logfile to >>/usr/local/pgsql/data/logfile will
most likely fix the problem.

I would suggest looking into contrib/start-scripts (from the source
distro) - look at PostgreSQL.darwin - the comments at the top should get
you started. These steps will have postgres running when you startup
your Mac.

You will need to change PGUSER="postgres" to PGUSER="pgsql", leave the
rest and try running it.

hint - with startup scripts if you don't want to restart you can use -
sudo /Library/StartupItems/PostgreSQL/PostgreSQL start

Also which version are you installing and did you get a binary package
somewhere or are you building from source?

--

Shane Ambler
pgSQL@Sheeky.Biz

Get Sheeky @ http://Sheeky.Biz

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

Thank you very much Shane. It fixed my problem, at least now :-).

I installed the pgsql 8.2.5 from source. The user "postgres" has a
shortname of "pgsql".

Another question, what's the purpose/advantage to create a user of
postgres? May I just create the database under my user account?

Technically you can run postgresql (and most other services) as almost
any user - the reason you don't is security - being run as pgsql it can
only read and write to files that that user account has access to. You
would normally only allow it to write in the data directory setup for
it. If it is hacked into it can only overwrite files in that one
directory not your entire system. If it only needs limited access to the
filesystem to run then don't give it access to everything.

This also works the other way - if the pgsql user is the only one with
read access to the data files then other users have trouble getting a
copy of them.

If you run ps aux (or activity monitor) you will see a few different
user names listed for different services.

Shane Ambler <pgsql@Sheeky.Biz>
10/18/2007 01:27 PM

To
Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov
cc
pgsql-general@postgresql.org
Subject
Re: [GENERAL] Problem of installation on Mac

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

Hi, I am a newbie for pgsql and tried to install it on my MacBookPro
Intel. I got everything correct until creating the user: postgres and
initdb, then the error message showed up for running the db. How to fix
the problem?

LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17837
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su: logfile: Permission denied

[1]+ Exit 1 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su lizhexu
Password:
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17842
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb test
createdb: could not connect to database postgres: could not connect to
server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
[1]+ Exit 2 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1

Thank you very much.

L

I would say the problem is when you are logged in as pgsql the >logfile
part tries to put the log file in the current working directory
(/Users/lizhexu in your example). Your pgsql user doesn't have
permission to write the log file there. When you are logged in as
lizhexu you don't get permission to read the data files. Also it should
be >>logfile changing >logfile to >>/usr/local/pgsql/data/logfile will
most likely fix the problem.

I would suggest looking into contrib/start-scripts (from the source
distro) - look at PostgreSQL.darwin - the comments at the top should get
you started. These steps will have postgres running when you startup
your Mac.

You will need to change PGUSER="postgres" to PGUSER="pgsql", leave the
rest and try running it.

hint - with startup scripts if you don't want to restart you can use -
sudo /Library/StartupItems/PostgreSQL/PostgreSQL start

Also which version are you installing and did you get a binary package
somewhere or are you building from source?

--

Shane Ambler
pgSQL@Sheeky.Biz

Get Sheeky @ http://Sheeky.Biz

If I understand correctly, the user "pgsql", besides having its own file
system not related to others, is the administrator of the postgresql db
administrator. Only "pgsql" can modify the db, but the other users can
query the db but not modify it. Am I rigth? What I should do, if other
users need to update the db. Thank you very much.

Shane Ambler <pgsql@Sheeky.Biz>
10/19/2007 12:08 PM

To
Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov
cc
pgsql-general@postgresql.org
Subject
Re: [GENERAL] Problem of installation on Mac

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

Thank you very much Shane. It fixed my problem, at least now :-).

I installed the pgsql 8.2.5 from source. The user "postgres" has a
shortname of "pgsql".

Another question, what's the purpose/advantage to create a user of
postgres? May I just create the database under my user account?

Technically you can run postgresql (and most other services) as almost
any user - the reason you don't is security - being run as pgsql it can
only read and write to files that that user account has access to. You
would normally only allow it to write in the data directory setup for
it. If it is hacked into it can only overwrite files in that one
directory not your entire system. If it only needs limited access to the
filesystem to run then don't give it access to everything.

This also works the other way - if the pgsql user is the only one with
read access to the data files then other users have trouble getting a
copy of them.

If you run ps aux (or activity monitor) you will see a few different
user names listed for different services.

Shane Ambler <pgsql@Sheeky.Biz>
10/18/2007 01:27 PM

To
Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov
cc
pgsql-general@postgresql.org
Subject
Re: [GENERAL] Problem of installation on Mac

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

Hi, I am a newbie for pgsql and tried to install it on my MacBookPro
Intel. I got everything correct until creating the user: postgres and
initdb, then the error message showed up for running the db. How to fix

the problem?

LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D

/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17837
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su: logfile: Permission denied

[1]+ Exit 1 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1
LizheXusComputer:/Users/lizhexu pgsql$ su lizhexu
Password:
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1 &
[1] 17842
LizheXusComputer:~ lizhexu$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/createdb test
createdb: could not connect to database postgres: could not connect to
server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
[1]+ Exit 2 /usr/local/pgsql/bin/postgres -D
/usr/local/pgsql/data >logfile 2>&1

Thank you very much.

L

I would say the problem is when you are logged in as pgsql the >logfile
part tries to put the log file in the current working directory
(/Users/lizhexu in your example). Your pgsql user doesn't have
permission to write the log file there. When you are logged in as
lizhexu you don't get permission to read the data files. Also it should
be >>logfile changing >logfile to >>/usr/local/pgsql/data/logfile will
most likely fix the problem.

I would suggest looking into contrib/start-scripts (from the source
distro) - look at PostgreSQL.darwin - the comments at the top should get

you started. These steps will have postgres running when you startup
your Mac.

You will need to change PGUSER="postgres" to PGUSER="pgsql", leave the
rest and try running it.

hint - with startup scripts if you don't want to restart you can use -
sudo /Library/StartupItems/PostgreSQL/PostgreSQL start

Also which version are you installing and did you get a binary package
somewhere or are you building from source?

--

Shane Ambler
pgSQL@Sheeky.Biz

Get Sheeky @ http://Sheeky.Biz

Lizhe.Xu@aphis.usda.gov wrote:

If I understand correctly, the user "pgsql", besides having its own file
system not related to others, is the administrator of the postgresql db
administrator. Only "pgsql" can modify the db, but the other users can
query the db but not modify it. Am I rigth? What I should do, if other
users need to update the db. Thank you very much.

I might just clarify this a little as some find it confusing - you have
two user accounts with the name pgsql, one is a system user account the
other is a postgresql database user. The two account names are
completely separate and don't need to have the same names.

The postgresql server (the program itself running on your machine) is
run using the system pgsql account allowing the server to have access to
your file system based on the privileges setup on for your system user
account.

The pgsql database user account is used to determine who can connect to
the postgresql server through a client application (whether run remotely
or from the same machine) and what data held within the postgresql
server they can access.

You can create other database users and specify what they can access and
what tasks they can perform. So you would keep pgsql as the admin user
with unlimited access to all db's and then create a user1 account and
then say that user1 can connect to mydb1 and can select, insert and
update data in mydb1. You can then create user2 and say they can connect
to mydb1 and can only perform selects on mydb1.

Within postgresql these user accounts are referred to as roles - see the
manual on CREATE ROLE for more info.
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/sql-createrole.html

--

Shane Ambler
pgSQL@Sheeky.Biz

Get Sheeky @ http://Sheeky.Biz