Completely uninstall PostgreSQL 9.0.4 from Mac OSX Lion?

Question

This question may look like a duplicate of: How to uninstall postgresql on my Mac (running Snow Leopard) however, there are two major differences. I'm running Lion and I'm trying to uninstall PostgreSQL 9.0.4. I've looked at the last question and the link that it referenced, but I did not find a file called "uninstall-postgresql" when I run this command:

sudo find / -name "*uninstall-*"  

So, I assume this means that the uninstall process for 9.0.4 is different than that of 8.x.

I've seen a couple of posts in different places describing a method for manual uninstallation but, similarly, some of the directories/files referenced are not present on my machine.

Any assistance or direction you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Just for reference, this is the link the other poster used to uninstall postgres from snow leopard. As I tried to step through these commands, most of them choked with some variant of "command not found".

---

UPDATE:

In addition to brew uninstall postgres, should I remove any of the following files/directories manually? Keep in mind I want to completely wipe the slate clean, no data files/database tables or anything.

> sudo find / -name "*postgres*"             
find: /dev/fd/3: Not a directory
find: /dev/fd/4: Not a directory
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/doc/activerecord-3.1.1/rdoc/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter_rb.html
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/doc/activerecord-3.1.1/ri/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/PostgreSQLAdapter/postgresql_version-i.ri
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/doc/arel-2.2.1/rdoc/lib/arel/visitors/postgresql_rb.html
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-3.1.1/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/arel-2.2.1/lib/arel/visitors/postgresql.rb
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/arel-2.2.1/test/visitors/test_postgres.rb
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/railties-3.1.1/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/templates/config/databases/jdbcpostgresql.yml
/Library/Ruby/Gems/1.8/gems/railties-3.1.1/lib/rails/generators/rails/app/templates/config/databases/postgresql.yml
/Library/WebServer/Documents/postgresql
/Library/WebServer/Documents/postgresql/html/app-postgres.html
/Library/WebServer/Documents/postgresql/html/postgres-user.html
/private/etc/apache2/users/postgres.conf
/private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/groups/_postgres.plist
/private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/sharepoints/postgres's Public Folder.plist
/private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users/_postgres.plist
/private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users/postgres.plist
/System/Library/DirectoryServices/DefaultLocalDB/Default/groups/_postgres.plist
/System/Library/DirectoryServices/DefaultLocalDB/Default/users/_postgres.plist
/Users/postgres
/Users/remcat/dev/working/startwire/vendor/plugins/foreign_keys/lib/foreign_keys/postgresql_adapter.rb
/Users/remcat/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/postgres_DCCEF98F-4602-5FF7-964F-5E717AC007B4.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Caches/Homebrew/postgresql-9.0.4.tar.bz2
/Users/remcat/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/History/http:%2F%2Fwww.postgresql.org%2Fdocs%2Fcurrent%2Fstatic%2Findex.html.webhistory
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/postgres_2011-11-06-194716_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/postgres_2011-11-06-194742_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/postgres_2011-11-06-194757_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/postgres_2011-11-06-194958_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/postgres_2011-11-06-203352_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/CrashReporter/postgres_2011-11-06-203359_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.postgres_2011-11-06-194716_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.postgres_2011-11-06-194742_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.postgres_2011-11-06-194757_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.postgres_2011-11-06-194958_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.postgres_2011-11-06-203352_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/.postgres_2011-11-06-203359_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash.plist
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/postgres_2011-11-06-194716_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/postgres_2011-11-06-194742_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/postgres_2011-11-06-194757_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/postgres_2011-11-06-194958_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/postgres_2011-11-06-203352_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/postgres_2011-11-06-203359_Ramys-MacBook-Pro.crash
/Users/remcat/Library/Saved Application State/org.postgresql.pgadmin.savedState
/usr/bin/postgres_real
/usr/include/postgres_ext.h
/usr/include/postgresql
/usr/include/postgresql/internal/postgres_fe.h
/usr/include/postgresql/server/postgres.h
/usr/include/postgresql/server/postgres_ext.h
/usr/include/postgresql/server/postgres_fe.h
/usr/lib/postgresql
/usr/local/Library/Aliases/postgres
/usr/local/Library/Formula/postgresql.rb
/usr/local/var/postgres
/usr/local/var/postgres/postgresql.conf
/usr/share/devicemgr/backend/vendor/rails/activerecord/lib/active_record/connection_adapters/postgresql_adapter.rb
/usr/share/devicemgr/backend/vendor/rails/railties/configs/databases/postgresql.yml
/usr/share/devicemgr/webserver/gems/gems/eventmachine-0.12.10/lib/em/protocols/postgres3.rb
/usr/share/man/man1/postgres.1.gz
/usr/share/postgresql
/usr/share/postgresql/postgres.bki
/usr/share/postgresql/postgres.description
/usr/share/postgresql/postgres.shdescription
/usr/share/postgresql/postgresql.conf
/usr/share/postgresql/postgresql.conf.sample

Answer 1

homebrew Installer

Assuming you installed PostgreSQL with homebrew as referenced in check status of postgresql server Mac OS X and how to start postgresql server on mac os x: you can use the brew uninstall postgresql command.

EnterpriseDB Installer

If you used the EnterpriseDB installer then see the other answer in this thread.

The EnterpriseDB installer is what you get if you follow "download" links from the main Postgres web site. The Postgres team releases only source code, so the EnterpriseDB.com company builds installers as a courtesy to the community.

Postgres.app

You may have also used Postgres.app.

This double-clickable Mac app contains the Postgres engine.

Answer 2

The following is the un-installation for PostgreSQL 9.1 installed using the EnterpriseDB installer. You most probably have to replace folder /9.1/ with your version number. If /Library/Postgresql/ doesn't exist then you probably installed PostgreSQL with a different method like homebrew or Postgres.app.

To remove the EnterpriseDB One-Click install of PostgreSQL 9.1:

1. Open a terminal window. Terminal is found in: Applications->Utilities->Terminal

2. Run the uninstaller:

   sudo /Library/PostgreSQL/9.1/uninstall-postgresql.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh
   

   If you installed with the Postgres Installer, you can do:

   open /Library/PostgreSQL/9.2/uninstall-postgresql.app
   

   It will ask for the administrator password and run the uninstaller.

3. Remove the PostgreSQL and data folders. The Wizard will notify you that these were not removed.

   sudo rm -rf /Library/PostgreSQL
   

4. Remove the ini file:

   sudo rm /etc/postgres-reg.ini
   

5. Remove the PostgreSQL user using System Preferences -> Users & Groups.

   1. Unlock the settings panel by clicking on the padlock and entering your password.
   2. Select the PostgreSQL user and click on the minus button.

6. Restore your shared memory settings:

   sudo rm /etc/sysctl.conf
   

That should be all! The uninstall wizard would have removed all icons and start-up applications files so you don't have to worry about those.

Answer 3

I don't use the same version, but uninstall actions are the same: Looking for file uninstall-postgresql inside directory

/Library/PostgreSQL/9.6

then run it.

(Screenshot in macOS 10.13)

then

sudo rm -rf /Library/PostgreSQL/

to delete all unnecessary directory.

Answer 4

This blog post explains very well:

(just replace 9.X by your version. e.g: 9.6)

A. If installed PostgreSQL with homebrew, enter brew uninstall postgresql

B. If you used the EnterpriseDB installer, follow the following step.

Run the uninstaller on terminal window: sudo /Library/PostgreSQL/9.X/uninstall-postgresql.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh

C. If installed with Postgres Installer, do:

open /Library/PostgreSQL/9.X/uninstall-postgresql.app

Remove the PostgreSQL and data folders. The Wizard will notify you that these were not removed.

sudo rm -rf /Library/PostgreSQL

Remove the ini file:

sudo rm /etc/postgres-reg.ini

Remove the PostgreSQL user using System Preferences -> Users & Groups.

Unlock the settings panel by clicking on the padlock and entering your password. Select the PostgreSQL user and click on the minus button. Restore your shared memory settings: sudo rm /etc/sysctl.conf

Answer 5

I was not able to uninstall PostgreSQL 9.0.8. But I finally found this. (I installed Postgres using homebrew)

brew list

Look for the correct folder name. Something like.

postgresql9

Once you find the correct name do:

brew uninstall postgresql9

That should uninstall it.

Answer 6

Uninstallation :

sudo /Library/PostgreSQL/9.6/uninstall-postgresql.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh

Removing the data file :

sudo rm -rf /Library/PostgreSQL

Removing the configs :

sudo rm /etc/postgres-reg.ini

And thats it.

Answer 7

open terminal and type the below command and hit enter

sudo /Library/PostgreSQL/9.X/uninstall-postgresql.app/Contents/MacOS/installbuilder.sh

Answer 8

If you installed using the graphical installer by BigSQL from the official postgres site and if you installed in the default location...

You can find your uninstaller in your home directory: /Users/<yourusername/PostGreSQL/uninstall/

Answer 9

Incase you have multiple versions of Postgres installed on your machine. You can remove all via brew command as:

brew uninstall --force postgresql

Answer 10

Another avenue that hasn't been considered is that your postgres was installed by pgvm (Postgres Version Manager).

Uninstall with pgvm uninstall 9.0.3