PostgreSQL error: Fatal: role “username” does not exist

Question

I'm setting up my PostgreSQL 9.1. I can't do anything with PostgreSQL: can't createdb, can't createuser; all operations return the error message

Fatal: role h9uest does not exist

h9uest is my account name, and I sudo apt-get install PostgreSQL 9.1 under this account.
Similar error persists for the root account.

Answer 1

Use the operating system user postgres to create your database - as long as you haven't set up a database role with the necessary privileges that corresponds to your operating system user of the same name (h9uest in your case):

sudo -u postgres -i

As recommended here or here.

Then try again. Type exit when done with operating as system user postgres.

Or execute the single command createuser as postgres with sudo, like demonstrated by drees in another answer.

The point is to use the operating system user matching the database role of the same name to be granted access via ident authentication. postgres is the default operating system user to have initialized the database cluster. The manual:

In order to bootstrap the database system, a freshly initialized system always contains one predefined role. This role is always a “superuser”, and by default (unless altered when running initdb) it will have the same name as the operating system user that initialized the database cluster. Customarily, this role will be named postgres. In order to create more roles you first have to connect as this initial role.

I have heard of odd setups with non-standard user names or where the operating system user does not exist. You'd need to adapt your strategy there.

Read about database roles and client authentication in the manual.

Answer 2

After trying many other peoples solutions, and without success, this answer finally helped me.

https://stackoverflow.com/a/16974197/2433309

In short, running

sudo -u postgres createuser owning_user

creates a role with name owning_user (in this case, h9uest). After that you can run rake db:create from the terminal under whatever account name you set up without having to enter into the postgres environment.

Answer 3

sudo su - postgres

psql template1

creating role on pgsql with privilege as "superuser"

CREATE ROLE username superuser;
eg. CREATE ROLE demo superuser;

Then create user

CREATE USER username; 
eg. CREATE USER demo;

Assign privilege to user

GRANT ROOT TO username;

And then enable login that user, so you can run e.g.: psql template1, from normal $ terminal:

ALTER ROLE username WITH LOGIN;

Answer 4

Installing postgres using apt-get does not create a user role or a database.

To create a superuser role and a database for your personal user account:

sudo -u postgres createuser -s $(whoami); createdb $(whoami)

Answer 5

This works for me:

psql -h localhost -U postgres

Answer 6

Working method,

1. vi /etc/postgresql/9.3/main/pg_hba.conf
2. local all postgres peer here change peer to trust

3. restart, sudo service postgresql restart

4. now try, psql -U postgres

Answer 7

In local user prompt, not root user prompt, type

sudo -u postgres createuser <local username>

Then enter password for local user.

Then enter the previous command that generated "role 'username' does not exist."

Above steps solved the problem for me. If not, please send terminal messages for above steps.

Answer 8

Follow These Steps and it Will Work For You :

1. run msfconsole
2. type db_console
3. some information will be shown to you chose the information who tell you to make: db_connect user:pass@host:port.../database sorry I don't remember it but it's like this one then replace the user and the password and the host and the database with the information included in the database.yml in the emplacement: /usr/share/metasploit-framework/config
4. you will see. rebuilding the model cache in the background.
5. Type apt-get update && apt-get upgrade after the update restart the terminal and lunch msfconsole and it works you can check that by typing in msfconsole: msf>db_status you will see that it's connected.

Answer 9

I installed it on macOS and had to:

cd /Applications/Postgres.app/Contents/Versions/9.5/bin
createuser -U postgres -s YOURUSERNAME
createdb YOURUSERNAME

Here's the source: https://github.com/PostgresApp/PostgresApp/issues/313#issuecomment-192461641

Answer 10

Uninstalling everything and keeping Postgres.app:

brew cask uninstall postgres
brew uninstall postgres
brew cask install postgres
rm -rf /Applications/Postgres93.app/
# shutdown any postgres instance
# open postgres.app -> "Initialize"

I wanted PostgreSQL 9.6