Question: Where is the postgresql.conf file located in Ubuntu?

Answer

The postgresql.conf file is a primary configuration file for PostgreSQL. It contains settings that are essential for the server, such as memory allocation, connection settings, and enabled extensions.

In Ubuntu, the location of the postgresql.conf file can depend on how PostgreSQL was installed and the version being used. Typically, when installed through the default package repositories (using apt-get), you can find it within the data directory of the PostgreSQL installation. The usual path would be:

/etc/postgresql/<version>/main/postgresql.conf

Here, <version> needs to be replaced with the version of PostgreSQL you're using. For example, for PostgreSQL 12, the path will be:

/etc/postgresql/12/main/postgresql.conf

To edit this file, you would generally use a command-line editor such as nano or vim. For example:

sudo nano /etc/postgresql/12/main/postgresql.conf

Make sure to restart the PostgreSQL service after making any changes to ensure they take effect. This can be done using:

sudo systemctl restart postgresql.service

The location could vary if you’ve customized your installation or are using a different method of installation (like from source or using containers). To confirm the exact path of your postgresql.conf, you can execute the following SQL query via the psql command-line interface:

SHOW config_file;

This query will return the path to the currently active configuration file.