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Subject: Re: Howto tell pg_ctl to use a non-default directory for config files
From: arif rahman <arif0729@icloud.com>
In-Reply-To: <3441657.1780603341@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2026 13:20:15 -0700
Cc: Michael Grimm <trashcan@ellael.org>,
 pgsql-admin@lists.postgresql.org
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Message-Id: <26DCB02F-6703-4C46-92CB-B15C02CC66EF@icloud.com>
References: <B10D18DA-90EC-44A3-9180-967690991789@ellael.org>
 <3441657.1780603341@sss.pgh.pa.us>
To: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>
Archived-At: 
 <https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/26DCB02F-6703-4C46-92CB-B15C02CC66EF%40icloud.com>
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In PostgreSQL, the configuration files do not have to live inside the =
data directory. You can place them elsewhere and tell PostgreSQL where =
to find them.

# Set postgresql.conf outside the data directory
hba_file =3D '/usr/local/etc/postgres/pg_hba.conf=E2=80=99

# pg_hba.conf
For Patroni or pg_auto_failover
Use scram-sha-256

local   all             all                     peer
host    all             all     127.0.0.1/32   scram-sha-256
host    all             all     ::1/128        scram-sha-256


Then start=20
postgres -D /var/db/postgres/data \
  -c config_file=3D/usr/local/etc/postgres/postgresql.conf


> On Jun 4, 2026, at 1:02=E2=80=AFPM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> =
wrote:
>=20
> Michael Grimm <trashcan@ellael.org> writes:
>> Question:=20
>> Is there a way to tell PostgreSQL to look for config files in e.g. =
/usr/local/etc/postgres, where normally all config files reside in =
FreeBSD? [2]
>=20
> Typically you would say "pg_ctl -D /usr/local/etc/postgres" to point
> it at the config file.  Then you would need the config file to include
> data_directory and perhaps other settings pointing to wherever the
> actual data files are.  See
>=20
> =
https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/runtime-config-file-locations.html=

>=20
> 			regards, tom lane
>=20
>=20