[Babase] connecting to psql
Hunter Matthews
babase@www.eco.princeton.edu
Thu, 06 Oct 2005 11:21:08 -0400
On Wed, 2005-10-05 at 14:43, Leah Gerber wrote:
>
> psql: could not connect to server: Permission denied
> Is the server running locally and accepting
> connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
>
> I am wondering which directory I should be in to try this? I am not
> sure where the actual database is located on papio and if it matters
> where I am when I try psql?
[Not sure if these questions were answered earlier, will answer them
now:]
1. psql (like most but not quite all unix programs) doesn't care where
you are when you run it.
2. The database on papio isn't a file on disk (yes yes, its stored on
the disk SOMEWHERE, but theoretically only weirdos like me or Karl
really care where) its a "service" that runs using the network.
You tell psql where on the network with either the PGHOST environment
variable, or by using the "-h" flag when you run psql. Like this:
psql -h localhost babase_test
3. The error you got above exposes a tiny lie of mine - there _is_ a
file (sort of) that will let you into the babase database(s), but I
reserve that file for the backup system and other admin tasks that I or
karl do, and everyone else has to use a password and a network name to
get in.
The bottom line is to set your PGHOST or to use the -h flag.
4. psql [options/flags/whatnot] name_of_database
the really useful flags (there are a ton of them) are
-h hostname -- specify which host to connect to
-U username -- if for some reason Karl ever tells you to use a
different database username
Maybe that was too much explanation, sorry.
Are there any other questions like these? they were all good ones.
--
Hunter Matthews Unix / Network Administrator
Office: BioScience 145/244 Duke Univ. Biology Department
Key: F0F88438 / FFB5 34C0 B350 99A4 BB02 9779 A5DB 8B09 F0F8 8438
Never take candy from strangers. Especially on the internet.