Database Connection Setup

If you're getting an error like role "user" does not exist, it means your DATABASE_URL environment variable is using a placeholder username that doesn't exist in your PostgreSQL database.

Fix the DATABASE_URL

The DATABASE_URL format is:

postgres://[username]:[password]@[host]:[port]/[database]

For Local Development

1. Find your PostgreSQL username:

   whoami
   # This shows your system username, which is likely your PostgreSQL username

2. Update .env.local with your actual username:

   # Replace "user" with your actual PostgreSQL username
   DATABASE_URL=postgres://your-username@localhost:5432/unifiedcron
    
   # If your PostgreSQL requires a password:
   DATABASE_URL=postgres://your-username:your-password@localhost:5432/unifiedcron

Common PostgreSQL Usernames

• macOS (Homebrew): Usually your system username (run whoami)
• Linux: Usually postgres or your system username
• Docker: Usually postgres

Test Your Connection

You can test if your connection string works:

# Replace with your actual connection string
psql "postgres://your-username@localhost:5432/unifiedcron"

If this connects successfully, your DATABASE_URL is correct.

Create the Database User (if needed)

If you need to create a PostgreSQL user:

# Connect as the postgres superuser
psql postgres
 
# Create a new user (replace 'your-username' with your desired username)
CREATE USER your-username WITH PASSWORD 'your-password';
 
# Grant privileges
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE unifiedcron TO your-username;

Reset Password (if needed)

If you forgot your PostgreSQL password:

# On macOS with Homebrew:
brew services stop postgresql
# Edit pg_hba.conf to allow trust connections temporarily
# Then:
psql postgres
ALTER USER your-username WITH PASSWORD 'new-password';

Troubleshooting

Error: role "user" does not exist

• Solution: Update DATABASE_URL in .env.local with your actual PostgreSQL username
• The placeholder postgres://user:pass@localhost:5432/unifiedcron needs to be replaced

Error: database "unifiedcron" does not exist

• Solution: Create the database first:

  createdb unifiedcron

Error: password authentication failed

• Solution: Check your password in DATABASE_URL or reset the PostgreSQL password

Example .env.local

# Use your actual PostgreSQL username
DATABASE_URL=postgres://rohith@localhost:5432/unifiedcron
 
# Or with password:
DATABASE_URL=postgres://rohith:mypassword@localhost:5432/unifiedcron
 
# Or using postgres user:
DATABASE_URL=postgres://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/unifiedcron

Note: Never commit .env.local to version control - it contains sensitive credentials!