Thread: Creating initial data bases

Creating initial data bases

From
"G. Walsh"
Date:
> I am converting 4 sites from C-ISAM (btree) to PostgreSQL which
> necessitates pretty well a full re-development.
>
> I am using Mandrake 9.2 + cooker so my current release level is 7.4-2.
>
> /var/lib/pgsql/data is present and would appear to have the
> directories/files that my 2 texts on the subject mention should be
> present.
>
> I began by wanting to create a simple data base. psql -l reports it but
> the Linux <find> cannot locate it. I can remove it with dropdb, too, so
> the table must be somewhere? Or is this because there is as yet nothing
> in the table?
>
> What I planned on doing was establishing 4 separate file systems, one
> for each of the 'divisions' or web sites. I have tried using createdb
> with the -D but it fails because absolute paths are not permitted??
>
> Finally, who should own what? Presently all the development directories
> are owned by a single development user. May that user own the postgres
> files or does the postgres user itself have to own them? If the latter
> is the case, then permissions would seem to be a problem.
>
> I'd feel a whole lot better if I could 'see' these tables (files) before
> I begin to develop strategy for defining and transferring the existing
> data. Rather anal retentive, but there it is - I like to see what I am
> working with.
>
> A hell of a way to spend New Years, I suppose, but in time I will enjoy
> this project, I am sure.
--
G. Walsh,
DSC Directional Services Corp.,
#507 890 Academy Close,
Victoria, B.C. V8V 2Y1

(250) 386-4498


Re: Creating initial data bases

From
Bruce Momjian
Date:
G. Walsh wrote:
> > I am converting 4 sites from C-ISAM (btree) to PostgreSQL which
> > necessitates pretty well a full re-development.
> >
> > I am using Mandrake 9.2 + cooker so my current release level is 7.4-2.
> >
> > /var/lib/pgsql/data is present and would appear to have the
> > directories/files that my 2 texts on the subject mention should be
> > present.
> >
> > I began by wanting to create a simple data base. psql -l reports it but
> > the Linux <find> cannot locate it. I can remove it with dropdb, too, so
> > the table must be somewhere? Or is this because there is as yet nothing
> > in the table?

All databases exist under a single /data directory, but the files are
named by object id.  See the "Managing Disk Space" section of the
manual.

> > What I planned on doing was establishing 4 separate file systems, one
> > for each of the 'divisions' or web sites. I have tried using createdb
> > with the -D but it fails because absolute paths are not permitted??
> >
> > Finally, who should own what? Presently all the development directories
> > are owned by a single development user. May that user own the postgres
> > files or does the postgres user itself have to own them? If the latter
> > is the case, then permissions would seem to be a problem.
> >
> > I'd feel a whole lot better if I could 'see' these tables (files) before
> > I begin to develop strategy for defining and transferring the existing
> > data. Rather anal retentive, but there it is - I like to see what I am
> > working with.

Files are all owned by the super-user postgres or the install user.

--
  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
  pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610) 359-1001
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square, Pennsylvania 19073