Thread: pg_restore and the -C flag

Hi all,

From what I’m reading on www.postgresql.org, the -C option for pg_restore is supposed to create the database before
restoringinto it, but here’s my command line:  

pg_restore -p 5432 -C -d restored_db recovery.dmp

The dmp file was created with pg_dump using

pg_dump -p 5432 -F c orig_db > recovery.dmp.

Pg_restore errors saying the database does not exist. Yes, I know that port 5432 is the default, but not all of our
databasesare.  So, do I have any options wrong with either utility? Or why is this happening? I’m just trying to
documenta recovery procedure and testing my documentation. 
—
Jay

Sent from my iPhone

On Wed, Jul 17, 2019 at 8:43 AM John Scalia <jayknowsunix@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all,

From what I’m reading on www.postgresql.org, the -C option for pg_restore is supposed to create the database before restoring into it, but here’s my command line:

pg_restore -p 5432 -C -d restored_db recovery.dmp

The dmp file was created with pg_dump using

pg_dump -p 5432 -F c orig_db > recovery.dmp.

Pg_restore errors saying the database does not exist. Yes, I know that port 5432 is the default, but not all of our databases are.  So, do I have any options wrong with either utility? Or why is this happening? I’m just trying to document a recovery procedure and testing my documentation.
—
Jay

Sent from my iPhone

I suspect the name your feeding to -d is the one you're trying to create? You still have to tell pg_restore to connect to a database that actually exists so it can log in to create one. So try passing "postgres" to the -d option. Or connect as you usually do with psql and run \l to see what databases already exist and connect to one of those.

Keith