Re: Using the /var/lib/pgsql/data directory in the absense

Whatever version of postgresql you WERE running is the same version you
now need to BE running. I.e. if you were running 7.3.x, you should
download 7.3.3 (or 7.3.4 if it's ready to go yet) and use THAT to get your
database up and running. Postgresql won't run databases from different
major versions.

On Tue, 22 Jul 2003, Srinivas Kotapally wrote:

> Hello all
>
> I am a newbie PostgreSQL DB admin. I have the following problem:
> 1. I have a redhat 8 box which has postgres installed.
> 2. I have reinstalled postgresql 7.2.1-5 (native postgres installation on
> RedHat 7.3) on the redhat 8.0
> 3. I don't have the database backups from my 7.3 installation - I however
> have access to the /var/lib/pgsql/data directory.
>
> My question is... can I use this to recover the database from the 7.3
> version. We got hacked and the earlier system was unusable.
>
> I tired to do an initdb but it would not let me provide the existing data
> directory and got the following:
>
> -bash-2.05b$ initdb
> The files belonging to this database system will be owned by "postgres".
> This use must also own the server process.
>
> initdb: The directory /var/lib/pgsql/data exists but is not empty.
> If you want to create a new database system, either remove or empty the
> directory /var/lib/pgsql/data or run initdb with an argument other than
> /var/lib/pgsql/data.
>
> I tried to do fire up the postmaster process and could not fire up the DB.
> I don't get a message the system just returns to the prompt without starting
> the database.
>
> Any help would be welcome!!
>
> Thanks
>
> Srinivas
>
>
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