7.3b2 initdb fails with semaphore error - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

From Mark Stosberg
Subject 7.3b2 initdb fails with semaphore error
Date
Msg-id Pine.BSF.4.44.0210010824580.6034-100000@nollie.summersault.com
Whole thread Raw
Responses Re: 7.3b2 initdb fails with semaphore error  (Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>)
List pgsql-bugs
Hello,

I just tried installing 7.3b2 on FreeBSD 4.6.2 and received the
following error:

####
oot@asana> su -l pgsql -c initdb
The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "pgsql".
This user must also own the server process.

The database cluster will be initialized with locale C.

creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/data... ok
creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/data/base... ok
creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/data/global... ok
creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/data/pg_xlog... ok
creating directory /usr/local/pgsql/data/pg_clog... ok
creating template1 database in /usr/local/pgsql/data/base/1... IpcSemaphoreCreate: semget(key=1, num=17, 03600) failed:
Nospace left on device 

This error does *not* mean that you have run out of disk space.

It occurs when either the system limit for the maximum number of
semaphore sets (SEMMNI), or the system wide maximum number of
semaphores (SEMMNS), would be exceeded.  You need to raise the
respective kernel parameter.  Alternatively, reduce PostgreSQL's
consumption of semaphores by reducing its max_connections parameter
(currently 32).

The PostgreSQL Administrator's Guide contains more information about
configuring your system for PostgreSQL.


initdb failed.
###############

I think the bug here is that this message advertises that I can change the
"max_connections" parameter to address this, but there does not appear to be a way
to do this.  The max_connections option is located on my system at
/usr/local/share/postgresql/postgresql.conf.sample (prior to initdb)

However, initdb appears to only copy the file and not actually
use its parameters.

If it /is/ possible to adjust max_connections prior or during the "initdb"
stage, I think there is a documentation bug-- the location of that
documentation should be spit out along with the above error message, along with
being accessible through "initdb --help" and perhaps elsewhere.

I look forward to another great release. Thanks!

    -mark

http://mark.stosberg.com/

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