Re: initdb change

On Mon, Aug 25, 2008 at 11:48:29AM -0400, Tom Lane wrote:
> David Fetter <david@fetter.org> writes:
> > While initdb allows you to choose a directory for transaction
> > logs, it can't already exist, so it can't be in its usual place
> > under $PGDATA.  I'd like to propose that this be allowed by having
> > an alternate syntax for the -X option, namely, "existing."
> 
> > When -X is set to "existing", it would check whether pg_xlog is a
> > directory and the only thing in $PGDATA.  One way to do that is to
> > add a new return code to check_data_dir() and a new branch of the
> > case statement after it's called.
> 
> Why is this useful?  It seems like just extra complication.

Letting people put a separate I/O channel in for pg_xlog in the usual
spot at initdb time makes it easier on everybody.  The person tasked
with solving a problem is not left blearily wondering where pg_xlog
went when their phone rings at 0300, as such phones are wont to do. :)

Another approach to this is to look by default for pg_xlog in the
$PGDATA-to-be, testing it for all the appropriate properties
(directory-ness, permissions, emptiness).

Cheers,
David.
-- 
David Fetter <david@fetter.org> http://fetter.org/
Phone: +1 415 235 3778  AIM: dfetter666  Yahoo!: dfetter
Skype: davidfetter      XMPP: david.fetter@gmail.com

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