Thread

1. Failing to boot Postgres on Red Hat Linux

   Matthew Green <matthewgreen@intelfax.co.uk> — 2000-08-31T16:00:28Z

   Hello,
   
   Postmaster is not initializing when our Red Hat server is rebooting.
   We have followed what is stated in the manual with a slight modification to allow TCPIP connections.
   
   i.e.
   in the file /etc/inittab
   
   -----------------------------<SNIP>---------------------------------------------
   #   Run Postgres in standard runlevels
   
   pg:2345:respawn:/bin/su - postgres -c "/usr/local/pgsql/bin/postmaster -i -D /usr/local/pgsql/data >> /usr/local/pgsql/logs/server.log 2>&1 </dev/null"
   -----------------------------<EOF>---------------------------------------------
   
   This seems to execute since if we introduce a deliberate error we get a warning on reboot.
   But with the line exactly as above we get no warnings, no server.log file is generated and the postmaster task is not visible if we run "ps -A" as root.
   
   Any help would be gratefully received including alternative methods of forcing Postgres to initialize on reboot.
   
   Many Thanks,
   
   Matthew Green
   
   
   
   Intelfax Limited,
   Lincoln House, 
   75 Westminster Bridge Road, 
   London SE1 7HS
   
   020 7902 5157
   
   
   

2. Re: Failing to boot Postgres on Red Hat Linux

   Thomas Good <tomg@q8.nrnet.org> — 2000-08-31T16:25:37Z

   On Thu, 31 Aug 2000, Matthew Green wrote:
   
   > Hello,
   > 
   > Postmaster is not initializing when our Red Hat server is rebooting.
   > We have followed what is stated in the manual with a slight modification to allow TCPIP connections.
   > 
   > i.e.
   > in the file /etc/inittab
   > 
   > -----------------------------<SNIP>---------------------------------------------
   > #   Run Postgres in standard runlevels
   > 
   > pg:2345:respawn:/bin/su - postgres -c "/usr/local/pgsql/bin/postmaster -i -D /usr/local/pgsql/data >> /usr/local/pgsql/logs/server.log 2>&1 </dev/null"
   > -----------------------------<EOF>---------------------------------------------
   > 
   > This seems to execute since if we introduce a deliberate error we get a warning on reboot.
   > But with the line exactly as above we get no warnings, no server.log file is generated and the postmaster task is not visible if we run "ps -A" as root.
   
   > Any help would be gratefully received including alternative methods of forcing Postgres to initialize on reboot.
   > 
   > Many Thanks,
   > 
   > Matthew Green
   
   Matthew, I use this line as printed on a slackware box except the port 
   (5432) and the redirect at the end - on mine it is to (>) /dev/null and 
   here you have it reversed.  Is this simply a typo in your email?
   
   For RedHat:
   
   What follows is Lamar Owen's script (RedHat) for firing up PG.
   I simply place a call to it in rc.local so it starts on boot.
   (I keep my hacked copy of Lamar's file in /usr/local/bin, the original
   muzzled any logging output.) Note the rm -f of any stale locks.
   		
   Here is the line that turns on logging...
   su -l postgres -c '/usr/bin/postmaster -i -D/var/lib/pgsql >> /var/lib/pgsql/postlog 2>&1 &' >/dev/null
   
   Cheers,
   Tom
   ----
   
   Here is the script:
   
   #! /bin/sh
   # postgresql	This is the init script for starting up the PostgreSQL
   #		server
   
   # Version 6.5.2-0.2lo Lamar Owen
   # Added code to determine if PGDATA exists, whether it is current version
   #     or not, and initdb if no PGDATA (initdb will not overwrite a database).
   
   # chkconfig: 345 85 15
   # description: Starts and stops the PostgreSQL backend daemon that handles \
   #	       all database requests.
   # processname: postmaster
   # pidfile: /var/run/postmaster.pid
   #
   
   # Source function library.
   . /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions
   
   # Get config.
   . /etc/sysconfig/network
   
   # Check that networking is up.
   # Pretty much need it for postmaster.
   [ ${NETWORKING} = "no" ] && exit 0
   
   [ -f /usr/bin/postmaster ] || exit 0
   
   # This script is slightly unusual in that the name of the daemon (postmaster)
   # is not the same as the name of the subsystem (postgresql)
   
   # See how we were called.
   case "$1" in
     start)
   	echo -n "Checking postgresql installation: "
   	# Check for the PGDATA structure
   	if [ -f /var/lib/pgsql/PG_VERSION ] && [ -d /var/lib/pgsql/base/template1 ]
   	then
   	# Check version of existing PGDATA
   
   		if [ `cat /var/lib/pgsql/PG_VERSION` != '6.5' ]
   		then
   			echo "old version. Need to Upgrade."
   			echo "See /usr/doc/postgresql-6.5.2/README.rpm for more information."
   			exit 1
   		else
   			echo "looks good!"
   		fi
   
   	# No existing PGDATA! Initdb it.
   
   	else
   		echo "no database files found."
                   if [ ! -d /var/lib/pgsql ]
   		then
   			mkdir -p /var/lib/pgsql
   			chown postgres.postgres /var/lib/pgsql
   		fi
   		su -l postgres -c '/usr/bin/initdb --pglib=/usr/lib/pgsql --pgdata=/var/lib/pgsql'
   	fi
   
   	# Check for postmaster already running...
   	pid=`pidof postmaster`
   	if [ $pid ]
   	then
   		echo "Postmaster already running."
   	else
   		#all systems go -- remove any stale lock files
   		rm -f /tmp/.s.PGSQL.* > /dev/null
   		echo -n "Starting postgresql service: "
   		su -l postgres -c '/usr/bin/postmaster -i -D/var/lib/pgsql >> /var/lib/pgsql/postlog 2>&1 &' >/dev/null
   		sleep 1
   		pid=`pidof postmaster`
   		if [ $pid ]
   		then
   			echo -n "postmaster [$pid]"
   			touch /var/lock/subsys/postgresql
   			echo $pid > /var/run/postmaster.pid
   			echo
   		else
   			echo "failed."
   		fi
   	fi
   	;;
     stop)
   	echo -n "Stopping postgresql service: "
   	killproc postmaster
   	sleep 2
   	rm -f /var/run/postmaster.pid
   	rm -f /var/lock/subsys/postgresql
   	echo
   	;;
     status)
   	status postmaster
   	;;
     restart)
   	$0 stop
   	$0 start
   	;;
     *)
   	echo "Usage: postgresql {start|stop|status|restart}"
   	exit 1
   esac
   
   exit 0
   
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
                  SVCMC - Center for Behavioral Health                  
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
   Thomas Good                          tomg@ { admin | q8 } .nrnet.org
   IS Coordinator / DBA                 Phone: 718-354-5528 
                                        Fax:   718-354-5056  
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
   Powered by:  PostgreSQL     s l a c k w a r e          FreeBSD:
                  RDBMS       |---------- linux      The Power To Serve
   --------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   
   

3. Re: Failing to boot Postgres on Red Hat Linux

   Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> — 2000-08-31T21:52:54Z

   "Matthew Green" <Matthewgreen@intelfax.co.uk> writes:
   > pg:2345:respawn:/bin/su - postgres -c "/usr/local/pgsql/bin/postmaster -i -D /usr/local/pgsql/data >> /usr/local/pgsql/logs/server.log 2>&1 </dev/null"
   
   > This seems to execute since if we introduce a deliberate error we get a warning on reboot.
   > But with the line exactly as above we get no warnings, no server.log file is generated and the postmaster task is not visible if we run "ps -A" as root.
   
   Hmm.  If the server.log file is not getting created, then the postmaster
   has never had a chance to start, because that file would be opened
   before the postmaster is exec'd from su.
   
   Two thoughts: (a) does user postgres have write permission on the
   directory /usr/local/pgsql/logs?  (b) are you sure that your standard
   runlevel is one of 2,3,4,5?  (see the init line in inittab)
   
   			regards, tom lane