Re: Problems with initdb

Kim Kohen <kim(at)webguide(dot)com(dot)au> writes:
> I'm endeavouring to build postgresql from source (something with which I
> have no experience). I can configure, make and make install and all runs
> fine but when I try to run initdb it fails with a message about shared
> memory buffers and maximum connections. The docs refer to changing these in
> the .config file but if I create a config file and place it in the data
> folder then initdb refuses to run on that folder.

If initdb fails on this, then either you don't have shared memory
support in your kernel at all, or the limits are so small that Postgres
can't usefully run under them. Putting in a config file wouldn't help.

What platform are you on exactly, and what exactly is the failure
message? Also, what PG version are we talking about?

regards, tom lane