Install PostGreSQL 8 on Mac OS X Tiger

Use Fink and FinkCommander to install PostGreSQL (the binary package or from source). The postgres user will be created as well as the databases' folder /sw/var/postgresql-8.0 (I installed the 8.0.6-1026 version).

Start the PostGreSQL server (interactively)

sudo -u postgres /sw/bin/postmaster -D /sw/var/postgresql-8.0/data

In another terminal, connect to the template1 database (built-in PostGreSQL database)

psql -U postgres template1

Create a super user for you Mac OS X account (very convenient). My Mac OS X user name is jerome.

CREATE user jerome createdb createuser;

Create another user with a password (for your web application ?)

CREATE user user01 createdb;
ALTER user user01 WITH password 'pass01';

Log out

\q

Create your database as your new user

createdb -U user01 test01

To stop the PostGreSQL server, just type Ctrl-C in the first terminal.

That's it ! Start your real work now !