Hello,
How did you install postgres? Did you use the package or did you compile it from source? If you compiled it, you will have to manually create a service for postgres. But to start the database without the service, you can use pg_ctl directly:
pg_ctl -D <your-data-directory-full-path> start
I installed postgres years ago using a package, because I was not able to compile it from soource.
The file pg_ctl in in /Users/postgres/bin/pg_ctl
BUT I'm not able to start it.
with the command pg_ctl -D /Users/postgres/bin/pg_ctl start it does not work; the result is:
MacBook-Pro-di-Mauro-Bonetti:~ mauro$ pg_ctl -D /Users/postgres/bin/pg_ctl start
-bash: pg_ctl: command not found
If I try to OPEN the file, the result, in another window, is:
Last login: Tue Oct 17 00:04:34 on ttys001
MacBook-Pro-di-Mauro-Bonetti:~ mauro$ /Users/postgres/bin/pg_ctl ; exit;
pg_ctl: no operation specified
Try "pg_ctl --help" for more information.
logout
Saving session...
...copying shared history...
...saving history...truncating history files...
...completed.
I repeat: I install the first time postgres some yers ago (version 9.2). I log in last time on May. In June, after some crashes, a friend format my disk and I upgraded to Mac Os El Captain, using then a complete backup to restore my files, Applications etc.
Thanks for all your kind attention,
M