Re: Getting started

Donn Washburn <n5xwb(at)comcast(dot)net> writes:
> After looking at /etc/init.d/postgresql there is no mention to initdb
> other than under start) /usr/bin/initdb. The script is a openSuSE
> script that only has things like start), stop) and status) which are
> recognized.

Mph. So what you've got is one of the ones that automatically fires off
initdb if it doesn't see something that looks like a Postgres data
directory in the right place at "start" time. This is nice in that
it saves one step for newbies, but I think most distros are migrating
to a separate "initdb" action for that. There have been a couple of
well-publicized catastrophes wherein somebody's database got trashed by
a start script mistakenly firing up initdb, so people are now taking the
view that auto-initdb is more risk than it's worth. I'd counsel against
using an auto-initdb start script if you have the database on any sort
of external storage (particularly NFS/SAN), but if it's on the same
drive as the OS then it's probably safe enough. Just FYI.

> It is not the one that likely comes with postgres.

There isn't really a "standard" init script for Postgres; every distro
rolls their own.

regards, tom lane