## 17.5. Post-Installation Setup

[17.5.1. Shared Libraries](install-post.html#INSTALL-POST-SHLIBS)

[17.5.2. Environment Variables](install-post.html#id-1.6.4.9.3)

### 17.5.1. Shared Libraries

[]()

 On some systems with shared libraries you need to tell the system how to find the newly installed shared libraries. The systems on which this is *not* necessary include FreeBSD, HP-UX, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Solaris.

 The method to set the shared library search path varies between platforms, but the most widely-used method is to set the environment variable `LD_LIBRARY_PATH` like so: In Bourne shells (`sh`, `ksh`, `bash`, `zsh`):

```
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH

```

 or in `csh` or `tcsh`:

```
setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /usr/local/pgsql/lib

```

 Replace `/usr/local/pgsql/lib` with whatever you set ``--libdir`` to in [Step 1](install-procedure.html#CONFIGURE). You should put these commands into a shell start-up file such as `/etc/profile` or `~/.bash_profile`. Some good information about the caveats associated with this method can be found at [http://xahlee.info/UnixResource\_dir/\_/ldpath.html](http://xahlee.info/UnixResource_dir/_/ldpath.html).

 On some systems it might be preferable to set the environment variable `LD_RUN_PATH` *before* building.

 On Cygwin, put the library directory in the `PATH` or move the `.dll` files into the `bin` directory.

 If in doubt, refer to the manual pages of your system (perhaps `ld.so` or `rld`). If you later get a message like:

```
psql: error in loading shared libraries
libpq.so.2.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

```

 then this step was necessary. Simply take care of it then.

[]() If you are on Linux and you have root access, you can run:

```
/sbin/ldconfig /usr/local/pgsql/lib

```

 (or equivalent directory) after installation to enable the run-time linker to find the shared libraries faster. Refer to the manual page of `ldconfig` for more information. On FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD the command is:

```
/sbin/ldconfig -m /usr/local/pgsql/lib

```

 instead. Other systems are not known to have an equivalent command.

### 17.5.2. Environment Variables

[]()

 If you installed into `/usr/local/pgsql` or some other location that is not searched for programs by default, you should add `/usr/local/pgsql/bin` (or whatever you set ``--bindir`` to in [Step 1](install-procedure.html#CONFIGURE)) into your `PATH`. Strictly speaking, this is not necessary, but it will make the use of PostgreSQL much more convenient.

 To do this, add the following to your shell start-up file, such as `~/.bash_profile` (or `/etc/profile`, if you want it to affect all users):

```
PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/bin:$PATH
export PATH

```

 If you are using `csh` or `tcsh`, then use this command:

```
set path = ( /usr/local/pgsql/bin $path )

```

[]() To enable your system to find the man documentation, you need to add lines like the following to a shell start-up file unless you installed into a location that is searched by default:

```
MANPATH=/usr/local/pgsql/share/man:$MANPATH
export MANPATH

```

 The environment variables `PGHOST` and `PGPORT` specify to client applications the host and port of the database server, overriding the compiled-in defaults. If you are going to run client applications remotely then it is convenient if every user that plans to use the database sets `PGHOST`. This is not required, however; the settings can be communicated via command line options to most client programs.

