Unable to install postgresql ubuntu with error initdb

Question

I am using Ubuntu server. I am trying to install postgresql on it. when I try to start postgres using sudo service postgresql start it result me into

*No PostgreSQL clusters exist; see "man pg_createcluster"

and when I try to create cluster using command pg_createcluster --start 9.6 main (*9.6 is my postgres version)

The result is as follows

Creating new PostgreSQL cluster 9.6/main ...
/usr/lib/postgresql/9.6/bin/initdb -D /var/lib/postgresql/9.6/main -- 
auth-local peer --auth-host md5
initdb: could not look up effective user ID 108: Permission denied
Error: initdb failed

I am not able to figure out what is the issue please help.

Do you have other versions of postgresql installed in your system? — Jim Jones, May 02 '18 at 12:41
Hi @VaoTsun, here is result `root@beta:/home/unicorn/log# cat /etc/passwd | grep 108` `postgres:x:108:112:PostgreSQL administrator,,,:/var/lib/postgresql:/bin/bash` — dArK kNiGhT, May 02 '18 at 13:12
i it vanilla linux or docker? try running my cmd as user postgres, not as root — Vao Tsun, May 02 '18 at 13:22
@VaoTsun I tried using user Postgres. This is output `/usr/lib/postgresql/9.6/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data initdb: could not look up effective user ID 108: Permission denied` — dArK kNiGhT, May 02 '18 at 13:27
try running as root `chmod 644 /etc/passwd` and try pg_createcluster again?.. — Vao Tsun, May 02 '18 at 13:32
Thanks Brother @VaoTsun, It Worked...... _/\_ Logging answer.... — dArK kNiGhT, May 02 '18 at 13:35
Hi @VaoTsun and all, could you guys please help me here https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76272014/error-initdb-failed-postgresql-update-from-13-6-to-15-3 — kumardippu, May 17 '23 at 12:22

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited May 02 '18 at 13:45

1

It looks like your /etc/passwd is not readable. I'm not sure which distro would require it, but it is a problem for initdb.

I believe fast solution would be running as root chmod 644 /etc/passwd

And follow with

/usr/lib/postgresql/9.6/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l logfile start

command

edited May 02 '18 at 13:45

dArK kNiGhT

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answered May 02 '18 at 13:39

Vao Tsun

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Unable to install postgresql ubuntu with error initdb

1 Answers1