Re: Failed to run initdb - not resolved bug 5130

Hi all
after a long time of trying to install PostgreSQL with ...

Computer:

- Windows2000 (Jurassic Parc, I know ...)

- PostGreSQL 8.3.9 and msi-file
or PostGreSQL 8.4.2 and one click installer

- Data in
/8.4/data (default path)
or D:\PostgresDaten (with 1 level)
or D:\Postgres\PostgreSQLDaten (parent dir createt by me)

Testing race:
The result of all rounds is always the same:

- Installation:
runns through, but is not complete with error, when trying to initate
the db: no postgresql.conf-file.
The programdirectorys under c:\Programme\PostgreSQL\8.4 (or 8.3) are
created and seem to be complete.
But there are no datadirectorys or datafiles createt.

- Running directly initdb.exe:
stops with error "access denied" when trying to create something (for
the template database) in \PostgreSQLDaten\base\1\.
(\bin\initdb.exe -U postgres -D D:\Postgres\PostgreSQLDaten -W -n
The parameter -n prevents from deleting of the createt files/dirs in
case of errors.)

Some datadirectorys, a postgresql.conf-file, a PG_VERSION-file, others
*.conf-files are createt but the
\base and \base\1\ are empty.

- running pg_ctl.exe to start the server:
complains about missing file pg_control and stopps.
(\bin\pg_ctl.exe start -w -t 10 -D D:\Postgres\PostgreSQLDaten -l
D:\Postgres\PostgreSQLKonfigInfos\logfile02.txt.
Error in logfile is: D:/Postgres/PostgreSQLDaten/global/pg_control ...
No such file or directory.
This pg_ctl.exe wants the path- and filenames written exactly, with
upper and lower cases. Only pg_ctl.exe ?)

Somme more results:

- In windows, the createt datadirectorys belong to the windows-user
"thomas", with permissions for "administrator" and "postgres",
but not allways (I missed to register this in every round of the race ...).
- When running the initdb.exe without parameter -n, it allways could
remove all artefacts.
- on http://forums.enterprisedb.com/posts/list/1802.page can be seen,
that running initdb.exe sometimes works.
- The Windows-user postgres can create files and dirs in [\data]\base\1\.

Diagnosis:

The initdb is not allowed write to [\data]\base\1\ ("access denied"),
but could create it.
It is most likely, that the bug is inside initdb.exe.
You can guess, that there is a conflict between windows-permissions and
db-permissions.
Windows-version, PostgreSQL-version, paths, locals, ... all seem not to
matter.

... I now must hope.

Thomas Specker

If somebody has an installation with a SMALL, empty, and working
data-section including the template-db, this could be tested (if just
copying is possible).