Postgresql -bash: psql: command not found

Question

I have installed PostgreSQL and it is working ok. However, when I went to restore a backup I got the error -bash: psql: command not found:

 [root@server1 ~]# su postgres
 [postgres@server1 root]$ psql -f all.sql
 bash: psql: command not found
 [postgres@server1 root]$ 

What have I done wrong?

Answer 1

It can be due to psql is not in PATH

$ locate psql
/usr/lib/postgresql/9.6/bin/psql

Then create a link in /usr/bin

ln -s /usr/lib/postgresql/9.6/bin/psql /usr/bin/psql

Then try to execute psql it shoould work.

Answer 2

perhaps psql isn't in the PATH of the postgres user. Use the locate command to find where psql is and ensure that it's path is in the PATH for the postgres user.

Answer 3

The question is for linux but I had the same issue with git bash on my Windows machine.

My pqsql is installed here: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\10\bin\psql.exe

You can add the location of psql.exe to your Path environment variable as shown in this screenshot:

Answer 4

If you are using the Postgres Mac app (by Heroku) and Bundler, you can add the pg_config directly inside the app, to your bundle.

bundle config build.pg --with-pg-config=/Applications/Postgres.app/Contents/Versions/9.4/bin/pg_config

...then run bundle again.

Note: check the version first using the following.

ls /Applications/Postgres.app/Contents/Versions/

Answer 5

export PATH=/usr/pgsql-9.2/bin:$PATH

The program executable psql is in the directory /usr/pgsql-9.2/bin, and that directory is not included in the path by default, so we have to tell our shell (terminal) program where to find psql. When most packages are installed, they are added to an existing path, such as /usr/local/bin, but not this program.

So we have to add the program's path to the shell PATH variable if we do not want to have to type the complete path to the program every time we execute it.

This line should typically be added to theshell startup script, which for the bash shell will be in the file ~/.bashrc.

Answer 6

In case you are running it on Fedora or CentOS, this is what worked for me (PostgreSQL 9.6):

In terminal:

$ sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers

modify the following text from:

Defaults    secure_path = /sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin

to

Defaults    secure_path = /sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/pgsql-9.6/bin

exit, then:

$ printenv PATH

$ sudo su postgres

$ psql

To exit postgreSQL terminal, you need to digit:

$ \q

Source: https://serverfault.com/questions/541847/why-doesnt-sudo-know-where-psql-is#comment623883_541880