Re: initdb failure with Postgres 8.4.4

On 12/10/2010 10:25 AM, Andrew Dunstan wrote:
>
>
>>
>>>      Not claiming any knowledge in this area - would it be 
>>> reasonable to expect that if -L option works for other input files 
>>> it should
>>>      also work for timezones?
>> ...this seems reasonable.
>
>
> OK, this has nothing at all to do with the absence of the build path. 
> It has to do with using a non-standard sharedir.I have reproduced it 
> thus:
>
>

[snip]

> I will dig a bit further.
>
>

Here's my understanding.

It's not initdb that's really complaining. The timezone files are not 
inputs to initdb. It's the postgres that initdb invokes that's complaining.

Postges will look for the share file in two places: the configured 
install directory or a share directory whose path is calculated relative 
to its own location. initdb's -L flag doesn't override that, it only 
overrides where initdb itself looks for files (such as the BKI file). 
The bottom line I think is that if you intend to use a non-standard 
layout you need to specify the paths for everything and then not move 
them after installation. If you want the installation to be movable, 
just specify --prefix, but then if you move it you have to move the 
whole thing together. You can't just relocate one directory and expect 
it to work. It won't.

cheers

andrew