Thread

1. Getting started on Linux RH6.2 ...

   j.logsdon@lancaster.ac.uk — 2000-11-22T20:17:33Z

   Hello
   
   It is probably something quite silly but I have installed all the binaries
   from the RH6.2 installation disk and browsed through the manual.  These
   are:
   
   postgresql-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm        postgresql-python-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm
   postgresql-devel-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm  postgresql-server-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm
   postgresql-jdbc-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm   postgresql-tcl-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm
   postgresql-odbc-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm   postgresql-test-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm
   postgresql-perl-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm
   
   from which you will see the version.
   
   Firstly the tree as described in the Administrators guide in
   /usr/doc/postgresql-6.5.3/admin/layout.htm is very much pruned - in fact
   the only directories under /usr/lib/pgsql are:
   
   drwx------    2 postgres postgres     4096 Jul 23 21:56 backup
   drwxr-xr-x    3 root     root         4096 Nov 22 11:19 perl5
   drwxr-xr-x    4 root     root         4096 Nov 22 11:18 pgaccess
   drwxr-xr-x    3 root     root         4096 Nov 22 11:19 python
   drwxr-xr-x    9 root     root         4096 Nov 22 11:18 test
   
   and there is no directory /usr/local/pgsql at all.
   
   So it is not surprising that when I try and run the postmaster, I get
   the message:
   
   postgres $ postmaster
   /usr/bin/postmaster does not know where to find the database system data.
   You must specify the directory that contains the database system either by
   specifying the -D invocation option or by setting the PGDATA environment
   variable.
   
   No data directory -- can't proceed.
   
   Clues/pointers anyone?  I don't want to have to compile it all.  Have RH
   dropped a thingy?
   
   John
   
   
   
   

2. Re: Getting started on Linux RH6.2 ...

   Richard Huxton <dev@archonet.com> — 2000-11-23T10:21:19Z

   ----- Original Message -----
   From: <j.logsdon@lancaster.ac.uk>
   
   
   > Hello
   >
   > It is probably something quite silly but I have installed all the binaries
   > from the RH6.2 installation disk and browsed through the manual.  These
   > are:
   >
   > postgresql-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm        postgresql-python-6.5.3-6.i386.rpm
   etc
   > from which you will see the version.
   
   There are newer releases - you might want to get hold of 7.0 rpms before
   using it in a live system.
   
   > Firstly the tree as described in the Administrators guide in
   > /usr/doc/postgresql-6.5.3/admin/layout.htm is very much pruned - in fact
   > the only directories under /usr/lib/pgsql are:
   [snip]
   > and there is no directory /usr/local/pgsql at all.
   
   RPM installs tend to put files in different places than when you compile -
   try
     rpm -ql <package-name>
   to see where things have been put.
   
   > postgres $ postmaster
   > /usr/bin/postmaster does not know where to find the database system data.
   > You must specify the directory that contains the database system either by
   > specifying the -D invocation option or by setting the PGDATA environment
   > variable.
   >
   > No data directory -- can't proceed.
   
   Two things spring to mind - "initdb" needs to be run to set up the database
   (you should have a "data" directory somewhere with datafiles within). Don't
   know if the RPMs have already run that or not.
   
   Second thing - check in /etc/rc.d/init.d/ for a postgres script - if so try
   running /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgres start
   
   - Richard Huxton
   
   
   

3. Pivotal system

   j.logsdon@lancaster.ac.uk — 2000-11-24T09:32:43Z

   Hi
   
   As a newbie to SQL and databases, someone has asked me what is a "pivotal
   system".  Since in my experience most concepts are common across a number
   of disciplines, just the vocabulary changes, can anyone (i) point me in
   the right direction and (ii) can Postgres be set up to implement such a
   system?
   
   TIA
   
   John
   
   
   
   

4. Re: Pivotal system

   davidb@vectormath.com — 2000-11-24T19:13:00Z

   Perhaps what this person was referring to was an MSAccess "pivot table".
   This is a way of displaying group-able row data as columns.  For example,
   given the following table:
   
   name | date | hoursworked
   ---------------------------
   fred | nov13 | 4
   jane | nov13 | 3
   greg | nov13 | 4
   fred | nov14 | 2
   jane | nov14 | 6
   greg | nov14 | 4
   
   a pivot table could output the following data:
   fred | jane | greg
   ----------------
   6     | 9     | 8
   
   The possibility of doing this in Postgres was discussed on the mailing list
   some time ago (search for "pivot table").  I'm pretty sure there is no easy
   way to do this in Postgres.  I wrote a sample script to do this for a
   particular set of data under MS-SQL.  I never could test the script since I
   do not have a running installation of MS-SQL.  If you would like, I could
   forward you the script.
   
   Sorry to go on so long,
   David Boerwinkle
   
   ----- Original Message -----
   From: <j.logsdon@lancaster.ac.uk>
   To: <pgsql-general@postgresql.org>
   Sent: Friday, November 24, 2000 3:32 AM
   Subject: [GENERAL] Pivotal system
   
   
   > Hi
   >
   > As a newbie to SQL and databases, someone has asked me what is a "pivotal
   > system".  Since in my experience most concepts are common across a number
   > of disciplines, just the vocabulary changes, can anyone (i) point me in
   > the right direction and (ii) can Postgres be set up to implement such a
   > system?
   >
   > TIA
   >
   > John
   >
   >
   >