Thread: BUG #5421: pg_attribute broken

The following bug has been logged online:

Bug reference:      5421
Logged by:          cool shower
Email address:      coolshower2008@yahoo.co.jp
PostgreSQL version: 8.1.8
Operating system:   debian 2.6.18-6-686
Description:        pg_attribute broken
Details:

We use PostgreSQL Databse on Hospital Information System in Japan.
In case of normal condition(Not busy, Not Backup, Not Start up and Not
Shutdown),
Suddenly, PostgreSQL outputs error message  and "pg_attribute" catalog file
is broken as bellow.
Could you sent it to us A.S.A.P.
<Environment>
   debian debian 2.6.18-6-686 / PostgreSQL 8.1.8
<Error message>
   invalid attribute number 0 for tbl_syuday
<pg_attribute>
     attrelid     addname           atttypid    attstattarget   attlen
attnum
     45762        tableoid          26          0               4
-7
     45762        cmax              29          0               4
-6
     45762        xmax              28          0               4
-5
     45762        cmin              29          0               4
-4
     45762        xmin              28          0               4
-3
     45762        ctid              27          0               6
-1
     45762        santeiflg18_4      0          0               0
0 (?)
     45762        nyugaikbn       1042         -1              -1
1
     45762        ptid            1700         -1              -1
2
     .
     .(Omission)
     .
     45762        santeiflg17_1   1700         -1              -1
343
     45762        ftmoney17_1     1700         -1              -1
344
     45762        ftmoney18_4     1700         -1              -1
380 (345..379 are deleted?)
     45762        comptfn18_4     1700         -1              -1
381
     .
     .(Omission)
     .
Q1:Does anything have same reports ?
Q2:Does anything have repair patches ?

"cool shower" <coolshower2008@yahoo.co.jp> wrote:

> PostgreSQL version: 8.1.8

> Q2:Does anything have repair patches ?

You may want to review the fixes between 8.1.8 and the latest 8.1
bug fix release, which is 8.1.20:

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/release.html

Perhaps one of these fixes would help.  I'd certainly recommend
applying the bug-fix update and seeing if the problem is still
there.

-Kevin

"cool shower" <coolshower2008@yahoo.co.jp> writes:
> <pg_attribute>
>      attrelid     addname           atttypid    attstattarget   attlen
> attnum
>      45762        santeiflg18_4      0          0               0
> 0 (?)

What do you mean by "0 (?)"?  There shouldn't be any entries in
pg_attribute with attnum zero.  The row looks pretty completely bogus
otherwise, so I wonder if it's something you put in manually in a
misguided effort to fix whatever the real problem is.

As Kevin noted, 8.1.8 is really ancient, so you ought to update to
8.1.something-recent before you spend much more time on this.

            regards, tom lane