Re: Did I wipe off my database -- please help - urgent

On 8/7/06 12:01 PM, "Srinivas Iyyer" <srini_iyyer_bio(at)yahoo(dot)com> wrote:

> Dear Sean,
>
> There are 3 directories:
>
> # whereis pgsql
> pgsql: /usr/local/pgsql /usr/share/pgsql
>
>
> # cd /usr/local/pgsql/
> # ls
> bin data doc include lib man share
>
> # cd data
> # ls
> base pg_clog pg_ident.conf pg_subtrans
> pg_twophase pg_xlog
> global pg_hba.conf pg_multixact pg_tblspc
> PG_VERSION postgresql.conf
>
> The contents in this data directory looks identical to
> what I had it last night.
>
> I did not remove any thing from here.
> Things look exactly what they were last night.
> # cd base
> # ls
> 1 10792 10793
>
>
> What I remomved today is
>
> /var/lib/pgsql/data
>
> I have no clue what is the significance of
> /var/lib/pgsql/data.

For future reference, NOT a good idea to rm stuff for which you do not know
the significance.

> does this still means all my databases are gone.

I'm not sure, given the directories that you showed us above.

> I feel like i am already dead. if this is wrong all my
> work is gone.

Now, what to do....

First, STOP!! Do NOTHING else. You ABSOLUTELY need to make a backup of what
you have. If you don't know where your data is, then I would suggest
backing up the ENTIRE disk. If you have to buy a hard disk to do this, do
it! You ABSOLUTELY should not be working in an environment where you do not
have a backup of critical data, either by pg_dump to another machine
(ideally) or by routine cloning of the machine (we do both).

Next, get some help. And by help, I mean local help, if possible--someone
who can sit down with you and work through this systematically. You may
even want to pay for said help--a local contractor, etc., but that is up to
you.

Next, figure out where your data are stored. Figure out what the problem is
that keeps you from accessing it. Figure out what to do about that problem.
MAKE ANOTHER BACKUP. Then try fixing the problem.

Sean