Re: BUG #19391: pg_ctl: the PID file "/xxxx/postmaster.pid" is empty

On Fri, Jan 30, 2026, at 12:59 PM, PG Bug reporting form wrote:
>
> My test framework uses "pg_ctl status ..." to detect a state of Postgres
> instance - uninitialized, stopped, running.
>
> Time from time, it returns the error - pg_ctl: the PID file
> "/xxxx/postmaster.pid" is empty
>

You didn't provide enough information. Linux distro and version?

> https://github.com/postgrespro/testgres/issues/329
>

I would say that the operating system is the one that is probably removing the 
postmaster.pid. You are using /tmp as your base directory. Service like
systemd-tmpfiles-clean removes temporary files from /tmp. If systemd is not in
use, I would check the cron.


-- 
Euler Taveira
EDB   https://www.enterprisedb.com/