Create a separate user and both of you use sudo to start the database.
If you're insistent on keeping yourself owner of the data then use sudo to
give permission to your project partner to start the database.

On Sunday 31 March 2002 05:49 am, Amit Khare wrote:
> Hi Peter,
> Thank you very much for your reply .
> However the problem is that we don't want to create separate user for
> server. If "initdb" takes my login name and makes me owner of the data
> directory then how should I be able to give permission to other users in
> this case my project partner?
>
> Thanks again
>
> Regards
> Amit Khare
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Peter Eisentraut <peter_e@gmx.net>
> To: Amit Khare <skamit2000@yahoo.com>
> Cc: <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 31, 2002 4:20 AM
> Subject: Re: [HACKERS] How to give permission to others on data directory
>
> > Amit Khare writes:
> > > (1) Actually we are doing project on PostgreSQL in group of two. We
>
> installed individual copy of PostgreSQL into our group directory.
>
> > > (2) When I created data directory and ran "initdb" it makes me( takes
> > > my
>
> login name ) as the owner of data directory.
>
> > > (3) The problem is that now my partner cannot start the postmaster
> > > since
>
> he does not have right on the data directory. Further one cannot set right
> on the data directory more than 700 .
>
> > > (4) For time being we hacked the postmaster.c and commented the line
>
> starting from 318 which actually test the permission on data directory.
> Then my partner was able to run the postmaster since now I gave him
> rights(770) on the data directory(But changed rights on postgresql.conf
> file to 744).
>
> > > (5) Is there a clean way by which my partner can start postmaster on
>
> data directory created by me.
>
> > Create a separate user for the server and give yourself and your partner
> > access to it.
> >
> > --
> > Peter Eisentraut   peter_e@gmx.net
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> > TIP 3: if posting/reading through Usenet, please send an appropriate
> > subscribe-nomail command to majordomo@postgresql.org so that your
> > message can get through to the mailing list cleanly
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 4: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster

-------------------------------------------------------

Sun, 31 Mar 2002 09:16:20 -0600
David Walker <pgsql@grax.com>
Re: How to give permission to others on data directory