title: PostgreSQL server failed to start, could not create lock file: permission denied
body: <p>I am attempting to install and run a postgreSQL server, whenever I install it using</p>
  
  <pre><code>sudo apt-get install postgresql
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I get the following error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>* Starting PostgreSQL 9.1 database server                                       
  * The PostgreSQL server failed to start. Please check the log output:
  2014-04-03 17:18:16 PDT FATAL:  could not create lock file     "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432.lock": Permission denied
                                                                      [fail]
  invoke-rc.d: initscript postgresql, action "start" failed.
  dpkg: error processing postgresql-common (--configure):
  subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
  dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of postgresql-9.1:
  postgresql-9.1 depends on postgresql-common (&gt;= 115~); however:
  Package postgresql-common is not configured yet.
  
  dpkg: error processing postgresql-9.1 (--configure):
   dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
  dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of postgresql:
   postgresql depends on postgresql-9.1; however:
    Package postgresql-9.1 is not configured yet.
  
  dpkg: error processing postgresql (--configure):
   dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
  No apport report written because the error message indicates its a followup error from a          previous failure.
  Errors were encountered while
   processing:
   postgresql-common
   postgresql-9.1
   postgresql
  E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I am guessing it's a permissions issue; how do I go about solving it?
  I am running Ubuntu 13.10</p>