Re: Unable to start server - winxp

> So there's no other way to start the server else than to create an
> unpriviledged winxp user account, or change my user account (and forever
> not be able to install programs, change settings etc etc.)? There must
> be, I can't imagine postgresql is in backwards world: making the admin
> less priviledged than an unpriviledged user.

Taking a peek back through the archives on this, let me just add one
piece of information: You *can* start the server from an admin account,
but you have to start it with pg_ctl (or as a service). You can *not*
start it by directly executing postmaster.exe. This is because you can
only give up privileges permanently if you cross a process creation
boundary, which pg_ctl does.

Oh, and this is only in 8.2 of course - for 8.1 and earlier you have to
use a non-admin account.

>> I can't understand why you didn't follow the standard installer (MSI
>> package) way of setting things up.
>>
>
> Actually, I did. I didn't change any of the settings pre-given, but
> still I can't start the postgresql server. The installer refused to
> initiate the server though, because it's on FAT32. But for that I used
> the initdb.exe.

If you're running on FAT32, you are doing yourself a *major* disservice.
But it's your choice.
Beware that there are some things that don't work on FAT32. For example,
tablespaces won't work. I can't recall offhand if there is anything
else, but you're certainly at a *much* larger risk of issues with that
choice.

//Magnus