Re: Explicit configuration file

> -----Original Message-----
> From: mlw [mailto:markw@mohawksoft.com] 
> Sent: 11 December 2001 12:14
> Cc: PostgreSQL-development
> Subject: Re: Explicit configuration file
> 
> 
> 
> Peter Eisentraut wrote:
> > 
> > mlw writes:
> > 
> > > > That could be mildly useful, although symlinks make 
> this already 
> > > > possible, and a bit clearer, IMHO.
> > >
> > > On systems which support symlinks, yes.
> > 
> > All systems that are able to run PostgreSQL support symlinks.
> > 
> > Really.
> 
> Windows does not supprt symlinks.

No, but Cygwin does and that's the environment that PostgreSQL runs in.

Other than that, I agree entirely with mlw (sorry Peter :-) ). 

If /etc/postgresql.conf included settings on the hba.conf file, ident.conf
file & data directory (and anything else I've forgotten) to use then a new
user could get up and running far quicker, and control every aspect of the
server from /etc/postgresql.conf without mucking about with symlinks (which
can be very confusing if working on a (convoluted) system setup by someone
else and *not* otherwise documented) OR (and I think this is the important
bit for a new user) having to modify their environment.

More complex/multiple instance systems could easily use a -C, -cf -f or
whatever option to specify an alternate config file.

Just my 2 pennies worth...

Regards, Dave.