Create a postgres user on macOS
If you follow the directions in the documention, you’ll run into a problem because the command to create a new user doesn’t work on macOS:
% adduser postgres
zsh: command not found: adduser
Use dscl to create postgres user and group
The Directory Service utility dscl is used on macOS to manage user accounts.
To check if a postgres user already exists:
% dscl . -read /Users/postgres
If there’s no postgres account, you should see an error.
If your computer already has a postgres account, it’s probably OK to skip this step and use that account for a fresh installation of postgres, but I can’t make any guarantees.
Create a postgres group:
% sudo dscl . -create /Groups/postgres
% sudo dscl . -create /Groups/postgres PrimaryGroupID 1000
% sudo dscl . -create /Groups/postgres RealName "PostgreSQL"
Create a postgres user:
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres NFSHomeDirectory /var/empty
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres Password "*"
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres PrimaryGroupID 1000
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres RealName "PostgreSQL Server"
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres UniqueID 1000
% sudo dscl . -create /Users/postgres UserShell /usr/bin/false
Check the postgres user/group
Use the -read option to verify the postgres group and user have been created:
% dscl . -read /Groups/postgres
% dscl . -read /Users/postgres