[linux] PostgreSQL database default location on Linux

What is the default directory where PostgreSQL will keep all databases on Linux?

I think best method is to query pg_setting view:

 select s.name, s.setting, s.short_desc from pg_settings s where s.name='data_directory';

Output:

      name      |        setting         |            short_desc
----------------+------------------------+-----------------------------------
 data_directory | /var/lib/pgsql/10/data | Sets the server's data directory.
(1 row)

The command pg_lsclusters (at least under Linux / Ubuntu) can be used to list the existing clusters and with it also the data directory:

Ver Cluster Port Status Owner    Data directory               Log file
9.5 main    5433 down   postgres /var/lib/postgresql/9.5/main /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-9.5-main.log
10  main    5432 down   postgres /var/lib/postgresql/10/main  /var/log/postgresql/postgresql-10-main.log

Below query will help to find postgres configuration file.

postgres=# SHOW config_file;
             config_file
-------------------------------------
 /var/lib/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf
(1 row)

[root@node1 usr]# cd /var/lib/pgsql/data/
[root@node1 data]# ls -lrth
total 48K
-rw------- 1 postgres postgres    4 Nov 25 13:58 PG_VERSION
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres    6 Nov 25 13:58 pg_twophase
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres    6 Nov 25 13:58 pg_tblspc
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres    6 Nov 25 13:58 pg_snapshots
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres    6 Nov 25 13:58 pg_serial
drwx------ 4 postgres postgres   36 Nov 25 13:58 pg_multixact
-rw------- 1 postgres postgres  20K Nov 25 13:58 postgresql.conf
-rw------- 1 postgres postgres 1.6K Nov 25 13:58 pg_ident.conf
-rw------- 1 postgres postgres 4.2K Nov 25 13:58 pg_hba.conf
drwx------ 3 postgres postgres   60 Nov 25 13:58 pg_xlog
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres   18 Nov 25 13:58 pg_subtrans
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres   18 Nov 25 13:58 pg_clog
drwx------ 5 postgres postgres   41 Nov 25 13:58 base
-rw------- 1 postgres postgres   92 Nov 25 14:00 postmaster.pid
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres   18 Nov 25 14:00 pg_notify
-rw------- 1 postgres postgres   57 Nov 25 14:00 postmaster.opts
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres   32 Nov 25 14:00 pg_log
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres 4.0K Nov 25 14:00 global
drwx------ 2 postgres postgres   25 Nov 25 14:20 pg_stat_tmp

Default in Debian 8.1 and PostgreSQL 9.4 after the installation with the package manager apt-get

ps auxw |  grep postgres | grep -- -D
postgres 17340  0.0  0.5 226700 21756 ?        S    09:50   0:00 /usr/lib/postgresql/9.4/bin/postgres -D /var/lib/postgresql/9.4/main -c config_file=/etc/postgresql/9.4/main/postgresql.conf

so apparently /var/lib/postgresql/9.4/main.

Connect to a database and execute the command:

SHOW data_directory;

More information:

https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/sql-show.html https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/runtime-config-file-locations.html

On Centos 6.5/PostgreSQL 9.3:

Change the value of "PGDATA=/var/lib/pgsql/data" to whatever location you want in the initial script file /etc/init.d/postgresql.

Remember to chmod 700 and chown postgres:postgres to the new location and you're the boss.

/var/lib/postgresql/[version]/data/

At least in Gentoo Linux and Ubuntu 14.04 by default.

You can find postgresql.conf and look at param data_directory. If it is commented then database directory is the same as this config file directory.