Install Postgresql on Mountain Lion

gistfile1.md

Install Postgresql on Mountain Lion

Based on: http://coderwall.com/p/1mni7w

brew install postgresql
initdb /usr/local/var/postgres -E utf8
mkdir -p ~/Library/LaunchAgents
cp /usr/local/Cellar/postgresql/9.1.4/homebrew.mxcl.postgresql.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
launchctl load -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.postgresql.plist

Take a look at the server log (/usr/local/var/postgres/server.log). If you see this error:

FATAL: could not create shared memory segment: Invalid argument

Then you'll need to add this to your /etc/sysctl.conf (create it if it doesn't exist):

sudo vim /etc/sysctl.conf

kern.sysv.shmmax=1610612736
kern.sysv.shmmin=1
kern.sysv.shmmni=256
kern.sysv.shmseg=64
kern.sysv.shmall=393216

Then manually start the database with:

pg_ctl -D /usr/local/var/postgres -l /usr/local/var/postgres/server.log start

Next, need to fix Mountain Lion’s genius behaviour to have postgres open a socket in /var/pgsql_socket_alt, which nobody looks at.

In terms of terminal commands:

mkdir /var/pgsql_socket
sudo chown $USER /var/pgsql_socket

Edit /usr/local/var/postgres/postgresql.conf and uncomment + edit the unix_socket_directory key to:

unix_socket_directory = '/var/pgsql_socket'

This wasn't working on my machine, I ended up having to symlink the socket:

ln -s /var/pgsql_socket/.s.PGSQL.5432 /tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432

Once you set the shmmax and shmall in /etc/sysctl.conf do you have to do anything to have them take effect? Doesn't seem to change the values by just creating that file.

Just in case you're still looking for an answer, /etc/sysctl.conf is read on boot. If you want the settings to take effect without rebooting, create the file, then do:

bash# sysctl -w kern.sysv.shmmax=1610612736
bash# sysctl -w kern.sysv.shmmin=1
.. etc

in the terminal as sudo root.