Re: Alternate Database Locations

"Brian C. Doyle" <bcdoyle@mindspring.com> writes:
> Okay I am still doing something wrong here
> I set PGDATA2=/home/user1/database
> export PGDATA2

> then I start postmaster
> postmaster -d PGDATA2 -i -p  5431 &

I think you are confusing the "alternate database directory" stuff with
having a separate installation (primary directory).  To set up a second
postmaster, you first have to initdb its installation directory:
initdb -D /home/user1/database

then start the postmaster like so:
postmaster -D /home/user1/database -p whatever ...

Instead of -D (note upper case), you can alternatively set env variable
PGDATA for these two programs.

The stuff in the manual about alternate database directories is to allow
a *single* postmaster to manage databases located somewhere other than
underneath its installation directory.  It's got nothing at all to do
with starting additional postmasters.
        regards, tom lane