Chapter 1. Server Runtime Environment

This chapter discusses how to set up and run the database server and how the server interacts with the operating system.

The Postgres User Account

As with any other server daemon that is connected to the world at large, it is advisable to run PostgreSQL under a separate user account. This user account should own only the data that it manages, and this data should not be shared with other daemons.

It is not advisable to make the postgres user account the same as the account used to install the executables. Doing so could cause user-defined functions to go astray or result in other problems that can compromise executable programs.