mail.app hang due to postgresql permissions?

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Level 1

15 points

mail.app hang due to postgresql permissions?

I did a time machine restore, and all is fine except I can't use mail.app. The app hangs before the GUI loads. The console is reporting this (over and over again):

org.postgresql.postgres: 2011-07-21 08:40:56 EDT FATAL: could not create log file "/Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log": Permission denied

com.apple.launchd: (org.postgresql.postgres[912]) Exited with code: 1

So it seems mail.app can't use its database, due to a change in user-group permissions? How can I repair this without resorting to a clean reinstall of Lion?

Posted on Jul 21, 2011 5:47 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 4, 2011 6:01 AM in response to Alan Schauer

This may not work for you, but it did for me as I was having similar problems. It seems that these errors are ultimately caused by Postgres not being able to start due to a permissioning error in the /Library/Logs dir when it tries to open the PostgreSQL.log file.

I corrected it by issuing the following commands in Terminal

sudo touch /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

sudo chown _postgres:admin /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

This will create the log file and give it the proper ownership for Postgres to have its way with it. After that, launchd should be able to start up Postgres without any problems.

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Answer 2

Alan Schauer Author

Level 1

15 points

Aug 4, 2011 6:30 AM in response to bradford653

sudo touch /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

sudo chown _postgres:admin /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

Thanks Bradford, I tried that right away. Because it didn't work, I realized the problem was deeper, and so I ended up doing a clean install, which solved other yakety yak that was showing up in the console.

Thanks.

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Answer 3

cj00

Level 1

10 points

Sep 6, 2011 2:05 PM in response to Alan Schauer

My 10.7.1 Time Machine restore (started from recovery HD) also did not restore all folders and files that were originally at /Library/Logs, causing Daemons to fail starting.

Reported tot Apple under Bug ID# 10080664.

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Answer 4

Jan 22, 2012 5:13 AM in response to Alan Schauer

Hi,

I tried to bind my OD Lion server with the Directory Utility to OD itself so to the local database. Bad idea and the only way getting server up and running again was to restore TIme Machine Backup.

After the restore Profile Manager did not work anymore (Error reading config). With the two lines mentioned here in the threat I was able to fix this problem:

sudo touch /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

sudo chown _postgres:admin /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

I don't know what I would have done without that. I have to say I'm using Mac only for a few months now but problems with Windows machines are really nothing compared with what Mac OS is causing. It's a real disapointment for such an amount of money. Maybe Windows does not look that nice and fancy but behind the scenses there is at least good engeneering. Sorry for that lines. They don't belong here I'm just quite upset about this OS. Time Machine has saved me now two times from a absolute disaster by executing operating system tasks.

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Answer 5

AppleWub

Level 1

4 points

Mar 27, 2012 7:56 AM in response to bradford653

Just a note on this error and fix.

I found the error while looking through system logs. The postgresql error was notching every 10 seconds even when mail.app was not running.

sudo touch /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

sudo chown _postgres:admin /Library/Logs/PostgreSQL.log

fixed it up.

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