---
name: "destroydb"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "postgresql-client"
version: "6.5.3-27"
release: "Debian 2.2 (Potato)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/destroydb"
---

# destroydb(1)

destroy an existing database

## NAME

destroydb - destroy an existing database

## SYNOPSIS

**destroydb** \[**-i**\] \[**-a** system\] \[**-h** host\] \[**-p** port\] **-u** \[dbname\]

## DESCRIPTION

*Destroydb* destroys an existing database.  To execute this command, the user must be the database administrator, or DBA, for this database. The program runs silently; no confirmation message will be displayed. After the database is destroyed, a Unix shell prompt will reappear.

*Destroydb* is a shell script that invokes *psql*. Hence, a *postmaster* process must be running on the database server host before *destroydb* is executed.  In addition, the  PGOPTION and PGREALM environment variables will be passed on to *psql* and processed as described in  *[psql(1)](/psql/1.md).*

The optional argument *dbname* specifies the name of the database to be destroyed.  All references to the database are removed, including the directory containing this database and its associated files. *Dbname* defaults to the value of the USER environment variable.

*Destroydb* understands the following command-line options:

- **-i**

  Prompts before destroying a database (interactive).

- **-a** system

  Specifies an authentication system *system* to use in connecting to the  *postmaster* process.  This option no longer has any effect.

- **-h** host

  Specifies the hostname of the machine on which the  *postmaster* is running.  Defaults to using local Unix domain sockets.

- **-p** port

  Specifies the TCP/IP port or local Unix domain socket file extension on which the *postmaster* is listening for connections.  Defaults to 5432, or the value of the PGPORT environment variable (if set).

- **-u**

  Use password authentication. Prompts for username and password.

## EXAMPLES

```
# destroy the demo database
destroydb demo
```

```
# destroy the demo database using the postmaster on host eden, port 5000.
destroydb -p 5000 -h eden demo
```

## FILES

- $PGDATA/base/*dbname*

  The location of the files corresponding to the database  *dbname*.

## SEE ALSO

drop\_database(l), [createdb(1)](/createdb/1.md), [initdb(1)](/initdb/1.md), [psql(1)](/psql/1.md). [postmaster(1)](/postmaster/1.md).

## DIAGNOSTICS

- **Error: Failed to connect to backend (host=***xxx***, port=***xxx***)**

  *Destroydb* could not attach to the  *postmaster* process on the specified host and port.  If you see this message, ensure that the *postmaster* is running on the proper host and that you have specified the proper port.  If your site uses an authentication system, ensure that you have obtained the required authentication credentials.

- **user “***username***” is not in “pg\_user”**

  You do not have a valid entry in the relation “pg\_user” and cannot do anything with Postgres at all; contact your Postgres site administrator.

- **user “***username***” is not allowed to create/destroy databases**

  You do not have permission to destroy databases; contact your Postgres site administrator.

- **database “dbname” does not exist**

  The database to be removed does not have an entry in the “pg\_database” class.

- **database “***dbname***” is not owned by you**

  You are not DBA for the specified database.

- **database destroy failed on** *dbname*

  An internal error occurred in  *psql* or the backend server.  Contact your Postgres site administrator to ensure that ensure that the files and database entries associated with the database are completely removed.

## NOTE

The command internally runs *drop database* from *psql* connected to the *template1* database to perform the operation.