In Rails, Couldn't create database for {"adapter"=>"postgresql",

Question

I'm trying to run rake db:create or rake db:setup but I get the following error. It's strange because rake db:create it's working fine from others folders with other Rails projects.

user:project user$ rake db:create
could not connect to server: No such file or directory
    Is the server running locally and accepting
    connections on Unix domain socket "/var/pgsql_socket/.s.PGSQL.5432"?
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-    3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:991:in `initialize'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-    3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:991:in `new'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:991:in `connect'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:260:in `initialize'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:27:in `new'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb:27:in `postgresql_connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-    3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:304:in     `new_connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:323:in `checkout_new_connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-    3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:265:in `block (2     levels) in checkout'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-    3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:261:in `loop'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:261:in `block in checkout'
/Users/user/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p290/lib/ruby/1.9.1/monitor.rb:201:in `mon_synchronize'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:260:in `checkout'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:162:in `connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_pool.rb:409:in     `retrieve_connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb:107:in `retrieve_connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/abstract/connection_specification.rb:89:in `connection'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake:110:in `rescue in create_database'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-3.1.0/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake:54:in `create_database'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/activerecord-    3.1.0/lib/active_record/railties/databases.rake:42:in `block (2 levels) in <top (required)>'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:205:in `call'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:205:in `block in execute'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:200:in `each'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:200:in `execute'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:158:in `block in invoke_with_call_chain'
/Users/user/.rvm/rubies/ruby-1.9.2-p290/lib/ruby/1.9.1/monitor.rb:201:in `mon_synchronize'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:151:in `invoke_with_call_chain'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/task.rb:144:in `invoke'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:116:in `invoke_task'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:94:in `block (2 levels) in top_level'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:94:in `each'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:94:in `block in top_level'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:133:in `standard_exception_handling'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:88:in `top_level'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:66:in `block in run'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:133:in `standard_exception_handling'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/lib/rake/application.rb:63:in `run'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/gems/rake-0.9.2.2/bin/rake:33:in `<top (required)>'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/bin/rake:19:in `load'
/Users/user/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.2-p290/bin/rake:19:in `<main>'
Couldn't create database for {"adapter"=>"postgresql", "database"=>"project_test",     "username"=>nil, "password"=>nil, "min_messages"=>"warning"}

This is my database.yml

development:
  adapter: postgresql
  database: project_development
  username:
  password:
  min_messages: warning

test:
  adapter: postgresql
  database: project_test
  username:
  password:
  min_messages: warning

production:
  adapter: postgresql
  database: project_production
  username:
  password:
  min_messages: warning

Posgree is insatelled on /usr/local/var/postgres. Shouldn't rake try to look it in the same folder instead of /var/pgsql_socket/ ? (I don't have a /usr/local/var/pgsql_socket anyways)

This is complaining about the postgres server not running. Is it? Is it setup to listen on the socket your app is trying to connect to? — x1a4, May 26 '12 at 02:30
But the server is running, is only complaining about this particular project. The socket is not set on database.sql. All is set as default. — Martin, May 26 '12 at 02:41
Related: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13410686/postgres-could-not-connect-to-server http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13538593/installing-postgresql-with-homebrew-and-rails-on-mountain-lion?lq=1 — Simon Perepelitsa, May 02 '13 at 18:07

Martin · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-22T21:08:41.243

20

Solved!

Solution was simple to update current installed gems.

Another solution to try is set host: localhost or whatever host you use on development settings on database.yml file.

edited Aug 22 '13 at 21:08

answered May 26 '12 at 06:09

Martin

11,216
23
83
140

8

which ones? what was the actual process? I ran into the same errors with same problem but your vague comment is not helping at all. – JGallardo Aug 22 '13 at 20:39
1

Try adding `host: localhost` or whatever host you use on your database.yml file – Martin Aug 22 '13 at 21:07
1

`host: localhost` is what I was missing – Dex Aug 19 '16 at 05:45

score 8 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 26 '13 at 16:46

I installed PG on Mac OS X via Homebrew (I didn't realize it came default in Mac OS X), and had the same problem. I may have made the problem worse by installing the pg gem before installing pg via Homebrew.

I solved this same problem by doing the following:

Make sure that all binaries are pointing to binaries in Cellar directory (/usr/local/Cellar on Mac OS X)
Uninstall pg gem gem uninstall pg
Reinstall with Homebrew configs gem install pg -- --with-pg-config=/usr/local/bin/pg_config (if you created a rails project with pg setup, this is explained in your database.yml config file)

And it worked!

score 5 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 19 '15 at 17:47

First, you will need to create your user manually in Postgres, while granting privilege of database creation (AKA createdb) for this user.

To do so, first, open Postgres shell prompt

$ sudo -u postgres psql

Create your user

postgres=# create role Your_DB_username with createdb login password 'YOUR_PASSWORD';

Exit from Postgres shell

postgres=# \q

Do whatever db-related rake task:

$ rake db:create

And it will work!

score 4 · Answer 4 · edited Jun 20 '20 at 09:12

The answer from zquintana above worked for me with a few small caveats.

My solution (using Homebrew):

If you have the gem installed gem uninstall pg
Remove old copy of postgresql brew uninstall postgresql
Re-install postgresql brew install postgresql
The install notes mention:

To have launchd start postgresql at login:

ln -sfv /usr/local/opt/postgresql/*.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents

Then to load postgresql now:

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.postgresql.plist

Or, if you don't want/need launchctl, you can just run:

postgres -D /usr/local/var/postgres

So run ln -sfv /usr/local/opt/postgresql/*.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents
Then launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.postgresql.plist
Now re-install the gem with the Homebrew configs gem install pg -- --with-pg-config=/usr/local/bin/pg_config
Now run your rake db:create

score 4 · Answer 5 · edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:42

4

In my case this was all I needed: https://dba.stackexchange.com/a/75221

pg_ctl -D /usr/local/var/postgres -l /usr/local/var/postgres/server.log start

edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:42

Community

1
1

answered May 24 '16 at 16:16

przemek

451
4
6

score 2 · Answer 6 · answered Oct 28 '13 at 18:58

2

I encountered an identical issue and was able to solve the error by:

using postgresapp.com (recommended by heroku in https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/heroku-postgresql#local-setup),
adding to config/database.yml
```
host: localhost
```
resetting shared memory settings as recommended in troubleshooting section of http://postgresapp.com/documentation:
```
sudo sysctl -w kern.sysv.shmall=65536
sudo sysctl -w kern.sysv.shmmax=16777216
```

answered Oct 28 '13 at 18:58

tongamite

21
2

Can you add the full code to show where you added the local host. it would really help people that are landing on this question and curious. – JGallardo Oct 25 '14 at 05:11
Isn't development the only environment you'd connect to localhost in? – calyxofheld Jan 07 '16 at 04:06

score 1 · Answer 7 · answered Dec 11 '14 at 01:08

Also check you don't have an open connection such as a client or an application connected to the instance. If that happen you will see this in the error

Couldn't create database for {"adapter"=>"xxxx", "database"=>"xxxx", "host"=>"localhost", "username"=>"postgres", "password"=>"xxxxx", "pool"=>5, "timeout"=>5000}
rake aborted!
ActiveRecord::StatementInvalid: PG::ObjectInUse: ERROR:  source database "template1" is being accessed by other users
DETAIL:  There is 1 other session using the database.

score 1 · Answer 8 · answered May 16 '19 at 06:47

1

Simple add host: localhost to your database.yml

For more detail please visit rake db:create:all fails to connect to PostgreSQL database

answered May 16 '19 at 06:47

Bilal Abbas

11
2

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Apr 23 '14 at 17:19

I was able to solve this by making sure that the name of my database in the database.yml file was in the following format: appname_development, appname_test, and appname_production. Here is my database.yml file as an example:

    development:
      adapter: postgresql
      database: parallax_development
      username:
      password:

    test:
      adapter: postgresql
      database: parallax_test
      username:
      password:

    production:
      adapter: postgresql
      database: parallax_production
      username:
      password:

In Rails, Couldn't create database for {"adapter"=>"postgresql",

9 Answers9

Linked