Re: Problems with initdb 8.0.1 - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

Rafael Martinez Guerrero wrote:

>Hello
>
>I have a problem running initdb 8.0.1. I get this error message when I
>try to run this command in my system:
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>-bash-2.05b$ /local/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb 
>The program "postgres" is needed by initdb but was not found in the
>same directory as
>"/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb@386linuxlibc63".
>Check your installation.
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>strace shows this:
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>......
>......
>getcwd("/", 1024)               = 10
>chdir("/local/opt/postgresql/bin")      = 0
>lstat64("initdb", {st_mode=S_IFLNK|0777, st_size=82, ...}) = 0
>readlink("initdb",
>"/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb@386linuxlibc63", 1024) = 82
>chdir("/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin") =
>0
>lstat64("initdb@386linuxlibc63", {st_mode=S_IFREG|0755, st_size=47506,
>...}) = 0
>getcwd("/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin",
>1024) = 73
>chdir("/")                      = 0
>write(2, "The program \"postgres\" is needed"..., 209The program
>"postgres" is needed by initdb but was not found in the
>same directory as
>"/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb@386linuxlibc63".
>Check your installation.
>) = 209
>exit_group(1)                           = ?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Some additional information:
>----------------------------
>We are running a system for administration of third party software on
>UNIX computers (store). With this system we can compile in a master
>server versions for different platforms and different versions of the
>software for a platform, distribution happens automatic.
>
>This system is well tested and works without a problem. We have been
>running the last 8-9 version of postgres in this system without a
>problem.
>
>What the system does is to create a symblink to the version for your
>machine (among other things).
>
>For example:
>
>If we install the binaries for postgres under /local/opt/postgresql/bin,
>initdb in this directory will be a symblink to
>"/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb@386linuxlibc63 
>and 
>
>/local/opt/postgresql/bin/postgres will we a symblink to
>/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/postgres@386linuxlibc63.
>
>if we are in a linux machine.
>
>If we run the same version in a solaris machine:
>/local/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb -->
>/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/initdb@sun4os58
>
>and 
>
>/local/opt/postgresql/bin/postgres -->
>/local/store/bbking/.postgresql/ver-8.0.1/opt/postgresql/bin/postgres@sun4os58
>
>Solution to the problem?:
>-------------------------
>
>I solution to this problem will be to look for postgres under the same
>directory of initdb (/local/opt/postgresql/bin in our example) and not
>under the directory of the initdb symblink target. 
>
>Any comment to this?
>Thanks for your time.
>  
>


What a very strange arrangement. Why not symlink the install dirs and 
leave the executable names alone? Mangling the names of the executables 
is surely a recipe for a hole in the foot - that you've got away with it 
up to now seems more a matter of luck than good management ;-)

cheers

andrew