Sample /etc/sysctl.conf.default for Mac OS X 10.8.4 Server?

The sysctl.conf file shouldn't be modified directly. Certain variables can be modified using the sysctl command in terminal. See the man pages below, and a link to the example from BSD.

sysctl(3) man page

Sysctl.conf example for BSD

There is no such file by default. The last time I checked, it was ignored by the system, even if it did exist.

It's interesting and worrisome that both of these answers conflict with the instructions at the Postgres web site, and in other posts about installing Postgres on Mountain Lion. According to those resources, there is no such file by default, but creating it (and rebooting) is the way to change these settings.

Of course, it also says to change it in /etc/, which on my machine is redirected to /private/etc, and I haven't gotten it to work yet either. So it's all a question of whom you believe, I guess.

It doesn't exist by default. Linc is right.

/etc/ is just a symbolic link to /private/etc/, this is normal.

I would read the man pages on postgres

KnowsABit wrote:

It's interesting and worrisome that both of these answers conflict with the instructions at the Postgres web site, and in other posts about installing Postgres on Mountain Lion. According to those resources, there is no such file by default, but creating it (and rebooting) is the way to change these settings.

This thread is about Postgres on OS X Server, which is installed by default. You shouldn't have to do anything else to set it up. If you are installing Postgres on OS X Client, then you may have some work to do. I tried Postgres a couple of years ago. It was pretty clunky. I assume Apple does a better job of configuring Postgres than Postgres. I suggest installing OS X Server if you want to run Postgres and MySQL is not suitable for some reason.

Thank you, I missed the server bit in the original post. Sorry for the noise and confusion.

As for the client, the information provided by Postgres installer readme file is correct, aside from the /etc/ detail -- I had a typo in my configuration file, when corrected all was well.