Re: postgres database framework disappeared

["Oliver Elphick" <olly@lfix.co.uk>]

Johann Spies wrote:
  >Postgresql 6.5.3 on a mixed slink/potato system.
  >
  >I don't know how this happened.  Suddenly postgres's postmaster is not
  >running and trying to make it run results in the following error
  >message:
  >
  >There is no PostgreSQL database framework in /var/postgres/data.
  >Run initdb as the postgres user to create it.
  >
  >The directory of /var/postgres/data shows:
  >---------------------------------------------------
  >drwx------   3 postgres postgres     1024 Sep  2  1999 .
  >drwxr-xr-x   3 postgres postgres     1024 Sep  2  1999 ..
  >-rw-------   1 postgres postgres        4 Sep  2  1999 PG_VERSION
  >drwx------   5 postgres postgres     1024 Nov  1  1999 base

The test (in /usr/lib/postgresql/bin/postgresql-startup) is:

if [ ! -d ${PGDATA}/base ]
then
    echo There is no PostgreSQL database framework in $PGDATA.
    echo Run initdb as the postgres user to create it
    exit 3
fi

  >I can run initdb and restore the previous day's backup, but how can
  >this happen?  Is there another way to repair it?

The only way I can think that this can be happening is if you are not running
as root or postgres and so do not have permission to read ${PGDATA}.

-- 
Oliver Elphick                                Oliver.Elphick@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight                              http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
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GPG: 1024D/3E1D0C1C: CA12 09E0 E8D5 8870 5839  932A 614D 4C34 3E1D 0C1C
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