Re: [SOLVED] Re: pgsql8b5 not launching on OSX system start;

hi,

>> note that my cmd line refers to the conf file, which has the external
>> PID id'd in it:
>
>> external_pid_file = '/var/run/postgresql.pid'

> Oh, now you tell us ;-)

heh. sorry -- just thought it was SOP.

in case you haven't noticed, i'm at that 'wunnerful' ramp-up stage that i dunno
what i dunno ... or ... er ... or know what i should know ... or somesuch ...
=8-D

> write_stderr("%s: could not write external PID file \"%s\": %s\n",
> progname, external_pid_file, strerror(errno));
> }

simple enuf ...

> I suppose that the fopen might have failed (maybe the original pid file
> wasn't writable by the postmaster??),

just checked -- looks ok. PID is properly 'owned & operated' by the postmaster
superuser defined in the launch command

> but why wouldn't it have printed an error message and kept going?

that's the rub. i'd expect to see it in the logs, as well.

i just did a simple experiment.

disable PIFfile check/delete in startup script

stop postgres
delete PIDfile (if still there)
reboot
---> postgres launches OK
verify PIDfile exists ... it does
---> can start/stop pgsql at will @ cmd line

stop postgres
touch PIDfile (if _not_ there)
reboot
--> NO launch, nothing in the logs
verify PIDfile exists ... it does
---> can start/stop pgsql at will @ cmd line

reboot
--> still NO launch, nothing in the logs
verify PIDfile still exists ... it does
---> can start/stop pgsql at will @ cmd line
stop postgres
delete PIDfile
reboot

--> back to normal

all reproducible.

imho, it's acting like the cmd line launch is working with a different PID file
... somethin's wonky.

so,

(1) i have a workaround for the moment via the script check (couldn't hurt,
really, to add the check to the startup script ...)

(2) since i've been appropriately mangling my system while getting this all
running, i think it may be time for a wipe-n-reinstall ... who knows what i've
done to myself?

as you've mentioned, i wonder if i've an odd permission on a process or log dir
somehwere ...

cheers,

richard