PG_DROPCLUSTER(1)

📦
version 293ubuntu1 · 8 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

✨ NAME ✨

pg_dropcluster — completely delete a PostgreSQL cluster 💀🫶

so like. the whole thing. gone. every last crumb. this is from the Debian PostgreSQL infrastructure besties, and she does NOT do partial.

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

pg_dropcluster [--stop] cluster-version cluster-name

that's it. that's the whole ritual. give her a cluster-version and a cluster-name and she'll handle the rest 🌸

🌈 DESCRIPTION 🌈

okay so listen. this program removes all files that belong to a given PostgreSQL cluster. all of them. every single one. and bestie that includes:

  • the data directory 🗂️
  • the wal directory 📝
  • the tablespace directories 🧚
  • the log file 📄
  • all configuration files that were created by pg_createcluster(1) ⚙️

no leftovers, no crumbs, no "oh I'll clean that up later". she's thorough.

and THEN — plot twist — if the configuration directory (/etc/postgresql/version/cluster) is empty after all that, it gets removed too. goodbye. and an empty socket directory that isn't /var/run/postgresql or /tmp? also removed. she's not leaving random empty rooms in the house, that's giving haunted mansion energy 👻

🚨 ok important part bestie: usually a cluster that still has a running server attached will not be deleted. like, if the server is up, she just... won't. protection mode. to override that, the --stop option forces a server shutdown before the files are removed. so it kills the server first and then does the deleting. use that one on purpose, not by accident, ok? 😭

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

iykyk 💅

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Martin Pitt <mpitt@debian.org> — icon, legend, the moment, fr fr 🫶

and that's the page bestie!! this one shipped from Debian, dated 2026-07-28, and if you ever wondered what that PG_DROPCLUSTER(1) at the bottom of the screen means — now you know 💖 stay hydrated, back up your data, and please don't --stop anything you aren't ready to say goodbye to. mwah 🎀✨

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