Name
initdb
-- Creates a new database cluster.
Synopsis
initdb [ --pgdata|-D dbdir ]
[ --sysid|-i sysid ]
[ --pwprompt|-W ]
[ --encoding|-E encoding ]
[ --pglib|-L libdir ]
[ --noclean | -n ] [ --debug | -d ] [ --template | -t ]
Parameters
- --pgdata=dbdir, -D dbdir, PGDATA
Use this parameter to provide the directory name where you wish
store the new data once creation is finished. The directory name
specified here can also be set as the PGDATA
environmental variable. If PGDATA
is already set to the directory you want to use, it is not necessary to use this
parameter.
- --sysid=sysid, -i sysid
Use this parameter to set the system ID of the database superuser.
If this is unspecified, the ID will be automatically set to the
ID of the user who ran the initdb
program.
- --pwprompt, -W
Passing this parameter will cause initdb
to prompt for the password of the new superuser account.
- --encoding=encoding, -E encoding
This parameter takes the multibyte encoding type of the template database
within this cluster. Whatever type you set here will by default become
the type of any databases you create later using this cluster.
- --pglib=libdir, -l libdir
The initdb program uses certain libraries
when creating a database cluster. The location of these files is normally
known by the program and when the location is not found, it will prompt
you to specify it; hence, you shouldn't need to use this parameter often,
but it is included in the case that you might.
- --template, -t
Pass this parameter to replace the template1 database
within an already existing database cluster, then exit. This can help
during PostgreSQL version updates and if your template1 ever becomes
corrupted or destroyed.
- --noclean, -n
Use this parameter to specify that initdb
should not clean up its files in the event that it
is unable to complete cluster creation due to an error. This parameter
can be useful for debugging purposes.
- --debug, -d
Use this parameter to display debugging information from the bootstrap backend (the program used in creation of catalog
tables).
Results
If it completes successfully, initdb
will create a database cluster in the specified data directory; this
cluster can then be used by the backend to store its database framework.
Description
Use the initdb program to create a database cluster
within your filesystem. A database cluster is the framework upon which PostgreSQL
databases (and groups of databases) are created; an example of a cluster is the
/data directory within your PostgreSQL installation
directory. You may use initdb to create a new
data directory and then tell postmaster to start
up using that data cluster instead of the default. If you use initdb to create a new data cluster, the cluster will be owned
by whatever user you are currently logged into when issuing the command.
 | Don't run as root! |
|---|
| | Do not run the initdb program while logged in
as root! The cluster needs to be created and owned by
whatever normal user is going to become the new cluster's database superuser.
|
You can also use initdb to correct a corruption
of the system database, template1, with the -t or --template parameter.
Examples
The following example initializes a new database cluster in the
/usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data directory.
$ initdb /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data
This database system will be initialized with username "postgres".
This user will own all the data files and must also own the server process.
Creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data
Creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data/base
Creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data/global
Creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data/pg_xlog
Creating template1 database in /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data/base/1
DEBUG: database system was shut down at 2001-08-27 16:51:07 PDT
DEBUG: CheckPoint record at (0, 8)
DEBUG: Redo record at (0, 8); Undo record at (0, 8); Shutdown TRUE
DEBUG: NextTransactionId: 514; NextOid: 16384
DEBUG: database system is in production state
Creating global relations in /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data/global
DEBUG: database system was shut down at 2001-08-27 16:51:14 PDT
DEBUG: CheckPoint record at (0, 108)
DEBUG: Redo record at (0, 108); Undo record at (0, 0); Shutdown TRUE
DEBUG: NextTransactionId: 514; NextOid: 17199
DEBUG: database system is in production state
Initializing pg_shadow.
Enabling unlimited row width for system tables.
Creating system views.
Loading pg_description.
Setting lastsysoid.
Vacuuming database.
Copying template1 to template0.
Success. You can now start the database server using:
./postmaster -D /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data
or
./pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/booktown_data -l logfile start