duplicate_file file name too long — 58P03

Symptoms

PostgreSQL could not create or access a file because the path/name exceeded the operating system’s length limit. It reports SQLSTATE 58P03 (duplicate_file in this stub mapping; the OS error is “file name too long”).

• A file path exceeded the OS name-length limit.
• Often from a very long tablespace path or identifier.
• An operating-system level filesystem error.

What the server log shows

ERROR:  could not create file "…very long path…": File name too long

Why PostgreSQL raises this — what the manual says

As Section 18.2 Creating a Database Cluster explains:

A path (such as the data-directory file or the Unix-domain socket directory) exceeded the operating system’s maximum filename length; relocate the cluster under a shorter data-directory path or configure a shorter socket directory.

Object files are placed under the data directory or a tablespace path. If the resulting path exceeds the filesystem’s maximum file-name length, the OS rejects the operation and PostgreSQL surfaces the filesystem error.

Common causes

• An excessively long tablespace location path.
• Very long object identifiers contributing to long paths.
• A filesystem with a restrictive name-length limit.

How to fix it

1. Use shorter tablespace paths/mount points.
2. Avoid extremely long identifiers that inflate file paths.
3. Place tablespaces on a filesystem with adequate path limits.

Related & next steps

• SQLSTATE 58P03 — Duplicate File (full reference)
• Message: could not create file: Permission denied
• Glossary: Tablespace

Reference: PostgreSQL 18 Section 19.2 “Creating a Cluster”.