Re: initdb change

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.
        regards, tom lane