Postgresql – Postgres – FATAL: database files are incompatible with server

homebrewmacospostgresql

After restarting my MacBook Pro I am unable to start the database server:

could not connect to server: No such file or directory
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432"?

I checked the logs and the following line appears over and over again:

FATAL:  database files are incompatible with server
DETAIL:  The data directory was initialized by PostgreSQL version 9.2, which is not compatible with this version 9.0.4.

9.0.4 was the version that came preinstalled on the mac, 9.2[.4] is the version I installed via Homebrew.
As mentioned, this used to work before the restart, so it can't actually be an compiling issue. I also re-ran initdb /usr/local/var/postgres -E utf8 and the file still exists.

Unfortunately, I am pretty new to Postgres, so any help would be very much appreciated.

Best Answer

If you recently upgraded to 11 or 12 from 10.x you can run the below command to upgrade your postgres data directory retaining all data:

brew postgresql-upgrade-database

The above command is taken from the output of brew info postgres

update: this should work for upgrading to postgres 14 as well.

Automatic Uninstall:

In the installation directory, there will be a uninstall-postgresql.app file. Executing (double clicking) that will uninstall the PostgreSQL installation.

Manual Uninstall:

Stop the server:

sudo /sbin/SystemStarter stop postgresql-8.3

Remove menu shortcuts:

sudo rm -rf /Applications/PostgreSQL 8.3

Remove the ini file:
```
sudo rm -rf /etc/postgres-reg.ini
```

Removing Startup Items:

sudo rm -rf /Library/StartupItems/postgresql-8.3

Remove the data and installed files:
```
sudo rm -rf /Library/PostgreSQL/8.3
```
Delete the user postgres:
```
sudo dscl . delete /users/postgres 
```

Postgresql – the postgres *.conf files

Or ask your database:

$ psql -U postgres -c 'SHOW config_file'

or, if logged in as the ubuntu user:

$ sudo -u postgres psql -c 'SHOW config_file'

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Postgresql – How to uninstall postgresql on the Mac (running Snow Leopard)

Automatic Uninstall:

Manual Uninstall:

Postgresql – the postgres *.conf files

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