Re: RPM init-script: Why the locale setting?

On Monday 05 April 2004 02:02 pm, Tom Lane wrote:
> In short then I doubt there's a need for initdb.i18n anymore. It would
> make more sense to have postgres' bash_profile source /etc/sysconfig/i18n
> directly.

Probably a good idea, then. I'll look at removing that cruft in the next
release; although, you may get to another release before I do, in which case
do with as you see fit (unless you just want to leave it to me...:-))

> The question of what postgresql.init should do if there's no available
> LANG or LC_ALL setting seems orthogonal to me. I do not find Trond's
> arguments convincing at all: a person who feels that C locale is broken
> ought to set up /etc/sysconfig/i18n to specify another locale. The
> POSIX standards say that the default locale in the absence of any
> environmental variable is C, not en_US, and the fact that Trond doesn't
> like that default doesn't give him license to change it, nor IMHO to try
> to make an end run around the standard by pressuring initscript authors
> to override the POSIX spec. I have no objection to making en_US the
> default at the sysconfig level, but inserting it in lower levels of the
> system seems at best misguided.

Well, Trond no longer has the reins, no? :-) However, I would like to see a
sane default that is consistent system-wide: if the whole system defaults to
en_US in the presence of no environment variable, then PostgreSQL should
default the same way.

What does LSB say (which is where the RPMset has to live)?

I personally favored a default at C locale and have no problem reinstating
that if that is really a sane default.
--
Lamar Owen
Director of Information Technology
Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute
1 PARI Drive
Rosman, NC 28772
(828)862-5554
www.pari.edu