.\" This is -*-nroff-*-
.\" XXX standard disclaimer belongs here....
.\" /usr/local/devel/postgres-4.2-devel/src/ref/unix/RCS/createdb.1src,v 1.17 1993/02/06 00:34:44 devine Exp
.TH CREATEDB UNIX 01/23/93
.XA 1 Createdb
.SH NAME
createdb \(em create a database
.SH SYNOPSIS
.BR createdb
[\c
.BR -a
system]
[\c
.BR -h
host]
[\c
.BR -p
port]
[dbname]
.SH DESCRIPTION
.IR Createdb
creates a new database.  The person who executes this command becomes
the database administrator, or DBA, for this database and is the only
person, other than the \*(PG super-user, who can destroy it.
.PP
.IR Createdb
is a shell script that invokes the \*(PG
.IR monitor .
Hence, a
.IR postmaster
process must be running on the database server host before
.IR createdb 
is executed.  In addition, the 
.SM PGOPTION
and
.SM PGREALM
environment variables will be passed on to
.IR monitor
and processed as described in 
.IR monitor (unix).
.PP
The optional argument
.IR dbname
specifies the name of the database to be created.  The name must be
unique among all \*(PG databases.
.IR Dbname
defaults to the value of the
.SM USER
environment variable.
.PP
.IR Createdb
understands the following command-line options:
.TP 5n
.BR "-a" " system"
Specifies an authentication system
.IR "system"
(see 
.IR introduction (unix))
to use in connecting to the 
.IR postmaster
process.  The default is site-specific.
.TP
.BR "-h" " host"
Specifies the hostname of the machine on which the 
.IR postmaster
is running.  Defaults to the name of the local host, or the value of
the
.SM PGHOST
environment variable (if set).
.TP
.BR "-p" " port"
Specifies the Internet TCP port on which the
.IR postmaster
is listening for connections.  Defaults to 4321, or the value of the
.SM PGPORT
environment variable (if set).
.SH EXAMPLES
.(C
# create the demo database
createdb demo
.)C
.(C
# create the demo database using the postmaster on host eden,
# port 1234, using the Kerberos authentication system.
createdb -a kerberos -p 1234 -h eden demo
.)C
.SH FILES
.TP 5n
\&$PGDATA/base/\fIdbname\fP
The location of the files corresponding to the database 
.IR dbname .
.SH "SEE ALSO"
createdb(commands),
destroydb(unix), 
initdb(unix), 
monitor(unix), 
postmaster(unix).
.SH DIAGNOSTICS
.TP 5n
.BI "Error: Failed to connect to backend (host=" "xxx" ", port=" "xxx" ")"
.IR Createdb
could not attach to the 
.IR postmaster 
process on the specified host and port.  If you see this message,
ensure that the
.IR postmaster
is running on the proper host and that you have specified the proper
port.  If your site uses an authentication system, ensure that you
have obtained the required authentication credentials.
.TP
.BI "user \*(lq" "username" "\*(rq is not in \*(lqpg_user\*(rq"
You do not have a valid entry in the relation \*(lqpg_user\*(rq and
cannot do anything with \*(PG at all; contact your \*(PG site
administrator.
.TP
.BI "user \*(lq" "username" "\*(rq is not allowed to create/destroy databases"
You do not have permission to create new databases; contact your \*(PG
site administrator.
.TP
.IB "dbname" " already exists"
The database already exists.
.TP
.BI "database creation failed on" " dbname"
An internal error occurred in 
.IR monitor
or the backend server.  Ensure that your \*(PG site administrator has
properly installed \*(PG and initialized the site with 
.IR initdb .