pg_ctl: couldnt find /var/lib/postgresql/data/postmaster.pid

jeffk · l33t Joined: 13 Sep 2003 Posts: 671

I'm trying to get postgresql-7.4.1-r4 configured, and am having trouble with the postgres user and startup scripts.

I emerged postgresql without first having created the 'postgres' user and group. I did create the postgres user with useradd, but I only followed the 'everyday user' useradd pattern, and ended up with a /home/postgres directory, which I want to omit. I removed postgres from the 'wheel', and 'audio' groups (in /etc/group), and created a 'postgres' group, adding 'postgres' user. I then deleted /home/postgres, unsure if that would be a problem (see below)

As root, I ran:

jeffk · l33t Joined: 13 Sep 2003 Posts: 671

One update, I checked another gentoo server, and apparently the emerge had created a postgres user, so I copied those group and passwd entries back to my laptop:

postgres:x:70:70::/var/lib/postgresql:/bin/bash

postgres::70:

problem of the missing pid is still there.

DarKRaveR · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2004 11:14 pm Post subject:

First off:

it doesn't really matter which UID the user has etc. you can chown the corresponding files etc. anyway, so the user fits.

To your problem. why do you want to restart postgres ? if it isn'T running, there's no pid, ergo pg_ctl can'T find one.

Make sure, to have a look at /etc/conf.d/posgresql

Just in case you got different file locations etc. (like me).

Oh, and I ctually pointed the postgres users homedir to the postgres main directory (above data) ... shouldn'T be a problem, to have it anywhere, as long as it exists ....

You can even give the user a homedir ... and in /etc/conf.d/posgres.. you can set the datapath etc. - This should work.