Re: location of the configuration files

Bruce Momjian wrote:

>Oliver Elphick wrote:
>  
>
>>On Thu, 2003-02-13 at 17:52, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
>>    
>>
>>>Seems to me that if FHS allows such a mess, it's reason enough to avoid
>>>compliance.  Either that or those of you who build for distributions are
>>>making an ill advised change.  Simply because the distribution makes the
>>>decision to add PostgreSQL, or some other package, to it's distribution
>>>doesn't make it a requirement to change the location of the config files.
>>>      
>>>
>>Debian (and FHS) specifically requires that.  All configuration files
>>MUST be under /etc; the reason is to make the system administrator's job
>>easier.  Part of the raison d'etre of a distribution is to rationalise
>>the idiosyncrasies of individual projects.  The locations used by
>>locally-built packages are up to the local administrator, but they
>>really should not be in /etc and are recommended to be under /usr/local.
>>
>>I really don't see why there is such a not-invented-here mentality about
>>this issue.  I say again, standards-compliance is the best way.  It
>>makes life easier for everyone if standards are followed.  Don't we
>>pride ourselves on being closer to the SQL spec than other databases? 
>>Any way, if PostgreSQL stays as it is, I will continue to have to ensure
>>that initdb creates symlinks to /etc/postgresql/, as happens now.
>>    
>>
>
>It doesn't have anything to do with "not-invented-here", which is a
>common refrain by people who don't like our decisions, like "Why don't
>you use mmap()?  Oh, it's because I thought of it and you didn't".  Does
>anyone seriously believe that is the motiviation of anyone in this
>project!  I certainly don't.
>
>Now, on to this configuration discussion.  Seems moving the config file
>out of $PGDATA requies either:
>	
>	1) we specifiy both the config directory and the data directory on
>	postmaster start
>	
>	2) we specify the pgdata directory inside postgresql.conf or
>	other config file
>
>Is this accurate?
>  
>
The patch that I have adds three settings to postgresql.conf and one 
command line parameter.

hba_conf = 'filename'
ident_conf='filename'
data_dir='path'

The command linae parameter is  -C, used as:

postmaster -C /usr/local/etc/postgresql.conf

I think this will help administrators.

Bruce, can you shed some light as to why this is being so strongly 
rejected. I just don't see any downside. I just don't get it.

I will be resubmitting my patch for the 7.3.2 tree.


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