Summary
In OpenBSD 7.2 release, PostgreSQL was updated to 14.5. This post shows how to install it on the latest OpenBSD.
Environment
- OS: OpenBSD 7.2
- Database: PostgreSQL 14.5
Overview
Each step is described later.
$ doas pkg_add postgresql-server
$ doas su - _postgresql
$ # --locale below is optional
$ # the password of "postgres" below, the superuser, will be asked
$ initdb -D /var/postgresql/data -U postgres \
-W -A scram-sha-256 -E UTF-8 --locale=xx_XX.UTF-8
$ exit
$ doas rcctl enable postgresql
$ doas rcctl start postgresql
Tutorial
The one-by-one steps are as follows.
1. Install PostgreSQL Server
Get the package to be installed from ports system:
$ doas pkg_add postgresql-server
The output was:
quirks-6.42 signed on 2022-10-30T18:56:25Z
postgresql-server-14.5:postgresql-client-14.5: ok
useradd: Warning: home directory `/var/postgresql' doesn't exist, and -m was not specified
postgresql-server-14.5: ok
The following new rcscripts were installed: /etc/rc.d/postgresql
See rcctl(8) for details.
New and changed readme(s):
/usr/local/share/doc/pkg-readmes/postgresql-server
2. Init database
In order to avoid permissions error, switch user to _postgresql which was created above:
$ doas su - _postgresql
Run init_db to create a database cluster.
Well, /var/postgresql directory will be created automatically:
$ initdb -D /var/postgresql/data -U postgres \
-W -A scram-sha-256 -E UTF-8 --locale=xx_XX.UTF-8
-U postgres (= --user=...) above is the superuser’s name.
The output started with:
The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "_postgresql".
This user must also own the server process.
The database cluster will be initialized with locale "ja_JP.UTF-8".
initdb: could not find suitable text search configuration for locale "ja_JP.UTF-8"
The default text search configuration will be set to "simple".
Data page checksums are disabled.
Then, when -W (= --pwprompt) is set, password will be asked.
-W and -A scram-sha-256 (= --auth=...) are for the sake of security.
As a reference, the documentation (/usr/local/share/doc/pkg-readmes/postgresql-server) says:
It is strongly advised that you do not work with the postgres dba account other than creating more users and/or databases or for administrative tasks. Use the PostgreSQL permission system to make sure that a database is only accessed by programs/users that have the right to do so.
Well, --locale=... is optional for one but en_US.UTF-8.
Enter the password:
Enter new superuser password:
Enter it again:
The rest was:
fixing permissions on existing directory /var/postgresql/data ... ok
creating subdirectories ... ok
selecting dynamic shared memory implementation ... posix
selecting default max_connections ... 20
selecting default shared_buffers ... 128MB
selecting default time zone ... Asia/Tokyo
creating configuration files ... ok
running bootstrap script ... ok
performing post-bootstrap initialization ... ok
syncing data to disk ... ok
Success. You can now start the database server using:
pg_ctl -D /var/postgresql/data -l logfile start
Yay, successful. Let’s exit from _postgersql user:
$ exit
3. Start PostgreSQL server
Activate the daemon and start it:
$ doas rcctl enable postgresql
$ doas rcctl start postgresql
postgresql(ok)
4. Work with the server
The postgresql server daemon is now activated and started. It works as RDBMS and listens to requests from clients.
The configuration files such as postgresql.conf and pg_hba.conf were generated automatically, and also psql was installed.
Configuration files
They are useful to configure the server.
psql
It is used as a terminal-based front-end to PostgreSQL. By using the password asked above, it’s able to connect to the server:
$ psql -U postgres
Password for user postgres:
You will be welcomed :)
psql (14.5)
Type "help" for help.
postgres=#