# Postgres refuses to launch, directory is empty **URL:** \ **Category:** General\ **Tags:** docker\ **Created:** [February 12, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234 "2018-02-12T20:21:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![peterbocan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b782af/32.png) [@peterbocan](https://forums.docker.com/u/peterbocan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 8:21pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/1 "2018-02-12T20:21:58Z")
Hello guys I have tried to mount the persistent volume to the PostgreSQL, but Postgres just screws me over saying ```auto postgres_1 | initdb: directory "/var/lib/postgresql/data" exists but is not empty postgres_1 | If you want to create a new database system, either remove or empty postgres_1 | the directory "/var/lib/postgresql/data" or run initdb postgres_1 | with an argument other than "/var/lib/postgresql/data". ``` and I can not get my head around why? Here is my `docker-compose.yml`. I am running on MacOS High Sierra (APFS), Docker CE. ```auto version: '3' services: postgres: image: postgres:10.1-alpine ports: - "5432:5432" networks: - db environment: POSTGRES_USER: x POSTGRES_PASSWORD: y volumes: - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data networks: proxy: driver: bridge db: driver: bridge volumes: pgdata: ``` ---
**Author:** ![sdetweil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@sdetweil](https://forums.docker.com/u/sdetweil)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/2 "2018-02-12T21:27:57Z")
> [@peterbocan](#): > > volumes: > - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data the pgdata folder is not empty… ---
**Author:** ![peterbocan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b782af/32.png) [@peterbocan](https://forums.docker.com/u/peterbocan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 10:31pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/3 "2018-02-12T22:31:49Z")
even if the volume is new? Or how should I create empty volume? ---
**Author:** ![sdetweil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@sdetweil](https://forums.docker.com/u/sdetweil)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/4 "2018-02-12T23:00:00Z")
the ‘volume’ is a docker term for the connectivity to a host folder… doesn’t have any concept of data in the folder. THAT is an application (postgres) thing the directory pgdata should have NO files in you are creating a NEW database… if you are REUSING an existing database then there can be files present (but then you would not say ‘create database’… ---
**Author:** ![dmaze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea5d25/32.png) [@dmaze](https://forums.docker.com/u/dmaze)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/5 "2018-02-13T01:30:06Z")
> [@sdetweil](#): > > the ‘volume’ is a docker term for the connectivity to a host folder… doesn’t have any concept of data in the folder. In the `docker-compose.yml` the OP quoted, the volume is a Docker-managed volume, not a bind-mounted host directory. `docker volume ls` will show the volumes that exist. Since the default assumption is that they hold valuable data like, say, your database, the default tooling is a little hesitant to delete them; and when you restart the container it will pick up the old volume again. `docker volume rm` will delete an (unused) volume that’s lying around. You need to give an explicit `docker-compose down -v` option to cause Compose to remove named volumes. ---
**Author:** ![sdetweil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@sdetweil](https://forums.docker.com/u/sdetweil)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2018, 4:20am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/6 "2018-02-13T04:20:46Z")
its still a bind mounted volume, just using the volume id from docker create volume. the reuse is the key behavior difference ---
**Author:** ![peterbocan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b782af/32.png) [@peterbocan](https://forums.docker.com/u/peterbocan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/7 "2018-02-15T15:49:12Z")
I have nuked every volume, it got stuck somehow. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![sdetweil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@sdetweil](https://forums.docker.com/u/sdetweil)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/8 "2018-02-15T17:15:55Z")
and its ok now? need 2o chars ---
**Author:** ![peterbocan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b782af/32.png) [@peterbocan](https://forums.docker.com/u/peterbocan)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/9 "2018-02-15T17:18:13Z")
Yes, it works! Docker compose still refuses to watch the changes on the drive so I have to manually build the images. But the issue is solved. ---
**Author:** ![banan314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/docker/user_avatar/forums.docker.com/banan314/32/46880_2.png) [@banan314](https://forums.docker.com/u/banan314)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2024, 4:01am UTC](https://forums.docker.com/t/postgres-refuses-to-launch-directory-is-empty/46234/10 "2024-04-10T04:01:53Z")
I followed this answer and it worked [Docker-Compose postgres upgrade initdb: error: directory "/var/lib/postgresql/data" exists but is not empty - Stack Overflow](https://stackoverflow.com/a/63824663/7769052)