Thread: /usr/local/pgsql/data permissions

   My server just crashed because a CPU-intensive build threatened to
overheat the processor so the system shut down. When I rebooted and tried to
start postgres the attempt failed because `data directory
"/usr/local/pgsql/data" has group or world access'. As far as I can recall,
it's always been 755 like the other directories in /usr/local/pgsql.

   When I changed the perms to 700 I was able to start postgres. I want to
check that these are the proper permissions (I can run psql from the command
line and access Ledger-123 so I assume they're OK.)

   How the permissions on the directory changed when the system shut down
will probably always remain a mystery.

Rich

On 09/23/11 1:48 PM, Rich Shepard wrote:
>   My server just crashed because a CPU-intensive build threatened to
> overheat the processor so the system shut down. When I rebooted and
> tried to
> start postgres the attempt failed because `data directory
> "/usr/local/pgsql/data" has group or world access'. As far as I can
> recall,
> it's always been 755 like the other directories in /usr/local/pgsql.
>
>   When I changed the perms to 700 I was able to start postgres. I want to
> check that these are the proper permissions (I can run psql from the
> command
> line and access Ledger-123 so I assume they're OK.)
>
>   How the permissions on the directory changed when the system shut down
> will probably always remain a mystery.
>


Indeed, 700 are the correct privs.

# ls -ld /var/lib/pgsql/9.0/data
drwx------. 13 postgres postgres 4096 Sep 12 20:07 /var/lib/pgsql/9.0/data

# ls -ld /var/lib/pgsql/data
drwx------ 11 postgres postgres 4096 Sep  9 12:08 /var/lib/pgsql/data

# ls -ld /var/postgres/8.4-community/data_64
drwx------  11 postgres dba           18 May 14 08:37
/var/postgres/8.4-community/data_64

$ ls -ld $PGDATA
drwx------   11 postgres staff          4096 Jun 07 12:29 /u01/pgsql/data

(different machines, different operating systems even...)


--
john r pierce                            N 37, W 122
santa cruz ca                         mid-left coast

On Fri, 23 Sep 2011, John R Pierce wrote:

> Indeed, 700 are the correct privs.

John,

   When it started and worked I assumed that was the case. But, I've not
before had directory permissions change when a system crashed.

   Cue the "Twilight Zone" theme.

Thanks,

Rich

On 09/23/11 2:14 PM, Rich Shepard wrote:
>   When it started and worked I assumed that was the case. But, I've not
> before had directory permissions change when a system crashed.
>
>   Cue the "Twilight Zone" theme.

did the system run some sort of fsck autorepair when it restarted?
thats about the only thing I could think of that might have messed with
the permissions.

--
john r pierce                            N 37, W 122
santa cruz ca                         mid-left coast

On Fri, 23 Sep 2011, John R Pierce wrote:

> did the system run some sort of fsck autorepair when it restarted?   thats
> about the only thing I could think of that might have messed with the
> permissions.

   The file system is ext3 so it did restore from the journals.

   Anyway, now I know if I should ever again be unable to start postgres,
check the permissions per the error message.

Thanks again,

Rich