Thread: psql: FATAL: Database "postgres" does not exist in the system catalog.

> Sorry to bother everyone with this, but I tried searching the site and
> the archive to no avail. I have read the docs and can't seem to get
> this ironed out. I get the error "psql: FATAL:  Database "postgres"
> does not exist in the system catalog." when trying to start a psql
> session. This tells me that my install in not complete. I reread the
> the post install instructions and can't see anything obvious that says
> I missed something.

If you run psql without a database name as an option, it tries to
connect to a database with the same name as the $USER psql runs as.

So if you run it as user "postgres", and a db with that name does
not exist (yet), it will complain.

You should first create a database using "createdb somename" and then
connect with "psql somename".

Note you can get a list of available databases with psql -l.

>
> Any help is appreciated.
>
> Thanks
>
> John Vandervliet


Bye,
Chris.


--

Chris Mair
http://www.1006.org