Re: Postgres service not starting on windows after install if not installed into standard locations

Am Mi., 20.Nov..2024 um 18:15:42 schrieb Adrian Klaver:
> On 11/20/24 05:26, Thomas Schweikle wrote:
>> Am Mo., 18.Nov..2024 um 19:43:36 schrieb Laurenz Albe:
>>> On Mon, 2024-11-18 at 17:22 +0000, Thomas Schweikle wrote:
>>>> Had installed PostgreSQL 16.5 on Windows 10:
>
>>> How exactly is the Windows service defined?
>>> Perhaps you need to use an absolute path for the executable.
>>
>> Servicename: postgresql-x64-16
>> Name:        postgresql-x64-16-PostgreSQL Server 16
>> Comment:     Provides relational database storage
>> Path:        "C:\PRGS\pgSQL\16\bin\pg_ctl.exe"
>>                runservice -N "postgresql-x64-16"
>>                -D "C:\DB\pgSQL\16\data" -w
>> Type:        Automatic
>> Account:     Networkservice
>> Password:    set
>> Dependencies:RPC, DCOM-Service, RPC-Endpoint
>
>
> Did you change settings during the install?

I called the installer with:

.\postgresql-16.5-1-windows-x64.exe

Then changed install path to: "C:\PRGS\pgSQL"
And database path to: "C:\DB\pgSQL"

After a while postgres got installed into "C:\PRGS\pgSQL\16" and the
database path was created: "C:\DB\pgSQL\16\data", but the database was
not created. Calling pg_initdb did the job and created the database
within the given folder.

Calling "pg_ctl start" gave a message, that "pg_ctl.exe" could not find
"postgres.exe" -- I prepended "C:\PRGS\pgSQL\16\bin" to %PATH%. Next
thing was that pg_ctl could not find the just, with pg_initdb, created
database. So I've set up PGDATA to point to "C:\DB\pgSQL\16\data". Both
within the global system environment of windows.

Tried again to start postgres via "pg_ctl start". This time postgres got
up and running instantly.

Then stopped postgres again: "pg_ctl.exe stop". And tried it using "net
start postgresql-x64-16". This failed. "pg_ctl.exe" called could not
find "postgres.exe".

Looking at the logs "pg_ctl.exe" stated it could not find "postgres.exe"
again. Since %PGDATA% and %PATH% where set within system environment
these are to be global and shall be active for services too.

Looking closer on "pg_ctl.exe" I found it using a build in path of
"C:\Program files\PostgreSQL\16\bin\postgres.exe", regardless of any
environment variables set if started without any of stdout, stdin,
stderr, what is the case if it is started as a service.

> Here on my Windows machine I get:
>
> C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\bin

>> Errors found within system logs:
>> pg_ctl: could not find program 'postgres.exe'
>>
>> Seems, since "C:\PRGS\pgSQL\16\bin" is in system path, it does not
>> search there at all:
>>
>> # dir "C:\PRGS\pgSQL\16\bin"
>> [...]
>> Mi, 13.Nov.2024  13:24           123.392 pg_ctl.exe
>> [...]
>> Mi, 13.Nov.2024  13:24         8.659.968 postgres.exe
>>
>> Any way to tell a service in Windows to use a path?
>> Any registry key to assign a path to?
>>
>> # sc qc "postgresql-x64-16"
>> [SC] QueryServiceConfig ERFOLG
>>
>> SERVICE_NAME: postgresql-x64-16
>>           TYPE               : 10  WIN32_OWN_PROCESS
>>           START_TYPE         : 2   AUTO_START
>>           ERROR_CONTROL      : 1   NORMAL
>>           BINARY_PATH_NAME   : "C:\PRGS\pgSQL\16\bin\pg_ctl.exe"
>> runservice -N "postgresql-x64-16" -D "C:\DB\pgSQL\16\data" -w
>>           LOAD_ORDER_GROUP   :
>>           TAG                : 0
>>           DISPLAY_NAME       : postgresql-x64-16 - PostgreSQL Server 16
>>           DEPENDENCIES       : RPCSS
>>           SERVICE_START_NAME : NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService
>>
>>
>

--
Thomas