Re: location of the configuration files

Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>

From: Bruce Momjian <pgman@candle.pha.pa.us>
To: Kevin Brown <kevin@sysexperts.com>
Cc: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Date: 2003-02-14T18:37:22Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
Kevin Brown wrote:
> Bruce Momjian wrote:
> > The big question is whether PGDATA is still our driving config variable,
> > and PGCONFIG/-C is just an additional option, or whether we are moving
> > in a direction where PGCONFIG/-C is going to be the driving value, and
> > data_dir is going to be read as part of that.
> 
> I'm actually leaning towards PGCONFIG + PGDATA.
> 
> Yeah, it may be a surprise given my previous arguments, but I can't
> help but think that the advantages you get with PGDATA will also exist
> for PGCONFIG.
> 
> My previous arguments for removing PGDATA from postmaster can be dealt
> with by fixing pg_ctl to use explicit command line directives when
> invoking postmaster -- no changes to postmaster needed.  PGCONFIG
> would be no different in that regard.

I see your point --- pg_ctl does a PGDATA trick when passed -D:

        -D)
            shift
            # pass environment into new postmaster
            PGDATA="$1"
            export PGDATA

It should pass -D just like it was given.

> Sorry if I seem a big gung-ho on the administrator point of view, but
> as a system administrator myself I understand and feel their pain.

Making things easy for sysadmins is an important feature of PostgreSQL.

-- 
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