Re: in linux, what user do i install postgres under?

On Monday 15. November 2010 22.45.47 Fred Parkinson wrote:
> I am a windows user that is trying to switch to linux.

Congratulations :D

> I want to install postgresql on my local machine (suse linux) as part
of a development environment.
>
> My question is: what user do I install postgres under? I know
postgresql creates a postgres user, so I can't create that from the
beginning and install from that account. So, what is the relation
between the account I install under, and postgresql? Can I use any
login, do I need to log in as root, or is there some other
user/capability I should sign on with to install postgresql under?

In Linux and other *nixes, you almost invariably install programs as
root. You must also run the initdb part as root to set up the database
cluster, and start the postgresql service. Then you switch to the
postgres user to run the command createuser, in order to be able log in
to a database as your ordinary user account.

regards,
Leif B. Kristensen
Gentoo Linux user since 2003