Can't restart Postgres - Mailing list pgsql-general

Hi,

I've got a development virtual server which matches live exactly
except for the fact that Postgres is running on a different port which
is not used by anything else.  Postgres was running fine until I
updated postgresql.conf to enhance logging and make better use of
system resources.

Here's the problem:

# /etc/init.d/postgresql-8.3 restart
 * Stopping PostgreSQL (this can take up to 90 seconds) ...
pg_ctl: PID file "/var/lib/postgresql/8.3/data/postmaster.pid" does not exist
Is server running?
 * Some clients did not disconnect within 30 seconds.
 * Going to shutdown the server anyway.
pg_ctl: PID file "/var/lib/postgresql/8.3/data/postmaster.pid" does not exist
Is server running?
 * Shutting down the server gracefully failed.
 * Forcing it to shutdown which leads to a recover-run on next startup.
pg_ctl: PID file "/var/lib/postgresql/8.3/data/postmaster.pid" does not exist
Is server running?
 * Forced shutdown failed!!! Something is wrong with your system,
please take care of it manually.
               [ ok ]
 * Starting PostgreSQL ...
waiting for server to
start...............................................................could
not start server                                        [ !! ]
 * The pid-file doesn't exist but pg_ctl reported a running server.
 * Please check whether there is another server running on the same
port or read the log-file.


If you're curious, the settings I changed in postgresql.conf are as follows:

OLD: shared_buffers = 24MB
NEW: shared_buffers = 128MB

OLD: #log_destination = 'stderr'
NEW: log_destination = 'stderr'

OLD: #logging_collector = off
NEW: logging_collector = on

OLD: #log_directory = 'pg_log'
NEW: log_directory = '/var/log/pg_log'

OLD: #log_filename = 'postgresql-%Y-%m-%d_%H%M%S.log'
NEW: log_filename = 'postgresql-%Y-%m-%d.log'

OLD: #log_rotation_age = 1d
NEW: log_rotation_age = 1d

OLD: #log_min_duration_statement = -1
NEW: log_min_duration_statement = 0

OLD: #log_duration = off
NEW: log_duration = on

OLD: #log_line_prefix = ''
NEW: log_line_prefix = '%t [%p]: [%l-1] '

Note that the live and development configs are identical except for
the port number.

Netstat data

# netstat -a
Active Internet connections (servers and established)
Proto Recv-Q Send-Q Local Address           Foreign Address         State
tcp        0      0 localhost:mysql         *:*                     LISTEN
tcp        0      0 *:sunrpc                *:*                     LISTEN
tcp        0      0 *:39571                 *:*                     LISTEN
tcp6       0      0 [::]:http-alt           [::]:*                  LISTEN
tcp6       0      0 [::]:http               [::]:*                  LISTEN
tcp6       0      0 [::]:ssh                [::]:*                  LISTEN
tcp6       0      0 [::]:https              [::]:*                  LISTEN
tcp6       0    732 linode-dev.prehisto:ssh 217.154.203.18:4244     ESTABLISHED
udp        0      0 *:779                   *:*
udp        0      0 *:32781                 *:*
udp        0      0 *:sunrpc                *:*
Active UNIX domain sockets (servers and established)
Proto RefCnt Flags       Type       State         I-Node Path
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     7294     @/tmp/fam-root-
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     1745591
/var/run/cgisock.19119
unix  2      [ ]         DGRAM                    179
@/org/kernel/udev/udevd
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     6073     /dev/log
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     7275
/var/run/fail2ban/fail2ban.sock
unix  2      [ ACC ]     STREAM     LISTENING     88239
/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1799425  /dev/log
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1799424
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1799422
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1799421
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1746483  /dev/log
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1746482
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1746384  /dev/log
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     1746382
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     7427     /dev/log
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     7426
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     7298     @/tmp/fam-root-
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     7295
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     6511     /dev/log
unix  3      [ ]         STREAM     CONNECTED     6508

I'm sure I've had this problem before (a few months ago on my home PC)
and never did solve it.

If anyone can offer some insight I'd be grateful.

Thanks

Thom