system location of the database configuration files. If
this option is omitted, the environment variable
<envar>PGDATA</envar> is used.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-l <replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable></option></term>
<term><option>--log=<replaceable class="parameter">filename</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Append the server log output to
<replaceable>filename</replaceable>. If the file does not
exist, it is created. The <systemitem>umask</systemitem> is set to 077,
so access to the log file is disallowed to other users by default.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-m <replaceable class="parameter">mode</replaceable></option></term>
<term><option>--mode=<replaceable class="parameter">mode</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Specifies the shutdown mode. <replaceable>mode</replaceable>
can be <literal>smart</literal>, <literal>fast</literal>, or
<literal>immediate</literal>, or the first letter of one of
these three. If this option is omitted, <literal>fast</literal> is
the default.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-o <replaceable class="parameter">options</replaceable></option></term>
<term><option>--options=<replaceable class="parameter">options</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Specifies options to be passed directly to the
<command>postgres</command> command.
<option>-o</option> can be specified multiple times, with all the given
options being passed through.
</para>
<para>
The <replaceable>options</replaceable> should usually be surrounded by single or
double quotes to ensure that they are passed through as a group.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-o <replaceable class="parameter">initdb-options</replaceable></option></term>
<term><option>--options=<replaceable class="parameter">initdb-options</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Specifies options to be passed directly to the
<command>initdb</command> command.
<option>-o</option> can be specified multiple times, with all the given
options being passed through.
</para>
<para>
The <replaceable>initdb-options</replaceable> should usually be surrounded by single or
double quotes to ensure that they are passed through as a group.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-p <replaceable class="parameter">path</replaceable></option></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Specifies the location of the <filename>postgres</filename>
executable. By default the <filename>postgres</filename> executable is taken from the same
directory as <command>pg_ctl</command>, or failing that, the hard-wired
installation directory. It is not necessary to use this
option unless you are doing something unusual and get errors
that the <filename>postgres</filename> executable was not found.
</para>
<para>
In <literal>init</literal> mode, this option analogously
specifies the location of the <filename>initdb</filename>
executable.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-s</option></term>
<term><option>--silent</option></term>
<listitem>
<para>
Print only errors, no informational messages.
</para>
</listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><option>-t <replaceable class="parameter">seconds</replaceable></option></term>
<term><option>--timeout=<replaceable