.\" This is -*-nroff-*-
.\" $Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/man/Attic/initlocation.1,v 1.2 1998/01/11 22:17:38 momjian Exp $
.TH INITDB UNIX 11/05/97 PostgreSQL
.SH NAME
initlocation - create a new Postgres storage area
.SH SYNOPSIS
.BR "initlocation"
.IR "directory"
.PP
.BR "initlocation"
.IR "$environment_variable"

.SH DESCRIPTION
.IR initlocation
creates a new Postgres database storage area. A storage area contains
distinct Postgres databases, with each database in a separate directory
and managed by a single postmaster.
.PP
Creating a database storage area consists of creating the directories in which
the database data will live.
There are 2 types of arguments for
.IR initlocation .
First, you can specify an explicit
absolute path to the top directory of the storage area.
Second, you can specify an environment variable (e.g. $PGDATA2).
This environment variable should be known to the backend for later use in
.IR "create database" .
In either case Postgres will add /base/
to the specified path to create the storage area.

.SH "SEE ALSO"
create_database(l),
initdb(1).