Before you can run postgresql you'll need to create the database files in /var/lib/pgsql. The following should do the trick. # su postgres -c "initdb -D /var/lib/pgsql/data" Additionally, a logrotation script and init script are included. For production level log file handling please read http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.2/interactive/logfile-maintenance.html In order to start postgresql at boot and stop it properly at shutdown, make sure rc.postgresql is executable and add the following lines to the following files: /etc/rc.d/rc.local ================== # Startup postgresql if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.postgresql ]; then /etc/rc.d/rc.postgresql start fi /etc/rc.d/rc.local_shutdown =========================== # Stop postgres if [ -x /etc/rc.d/rc.postgresql ]; then /etc/rc.d/rc.postgresql stop fi Additionally, rc.postgresql script has additional modes for stop/restart: force-stop|force-restart (i.e. pg_ctl 'fast' mode) unclean-stop|unclean-restart (i.e. pg_ctl 'immediate' mode) See http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/static/app-pg-ctl.html This script builds postgresql with some useful extension modules from the contrib directory, see PG_EXTENSIONS in SlackBuild file. To build PostgreSQL with all extensions, use the following command: # PG_EXTENSIONS=ALL ./postgresql.SlackBuild Please note that in order to actually use extension, you must execute 'CREATE EXTENSION [ IF NOT EXISTS ] extension_name' for each extension.