Before starting
psql
, be sure that you have either copied the
psql
binary
into a path in your system PATH variable (e.g.,
/usr/bin
), or that you have placed the PostgreSQL binary path (e.g.,
/usr/local/pgsql/bin
) within your list of paths in your
PATH environment variable (as shown in Chapter 2).
How you set the appropriate PATH variable will depend on your system shell. An
example in either bash or ksh might read:
$
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin
An example in either csh or tcsh might read:
$
set path=($path /usr/local/pgsql/bin)
Example 4-1. Setting system path for psql
[user@host user]$
psql
bash: psql: command not found
[user@host user]$
echo $PATH
/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin
[user@host user]$
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin
[user@host user]$
psql testdb
Welcome to psql, the PostgreSQL interactive terminal.
Type: \copyright for distribution terms
\h for help with SQL commands
\? for help on internal slash commands
\g or terminate with semicolon to execute query
\q to quit
testdb=#
Note that Example 4-1 takes place within a bash shell.
Once you have appropriately set your PATH variable,
you should be able to type
psql
, along with a database name, to start
up the PostgreSQL interactive terminal.
Warning
|
Shell environment variables are erased after you have logged
out. If you wish for your changes to the PATH variable
to be retained upon logging in, you need to enter the appropriate
PATH declaration into your shell-specific start-up
scripts (e.g.,
~/.bash_ profile
).
|