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$Header: /cvsroot/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_ctl-ref.sgml,v 1.19 2003/03/20 05:00:14 momjian Exp $

PostgreSQL documentation

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<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> backend server, or displaying

the status of a running postmaster. Although the postmaster can be

started manually, <application>pg_ctl</application> encapsulates

tasks such as redirecting log output, properly detaching from the

terminal and process group, and it provides convenient options for

tasks such as redirecting log output and properly detaching from the

terminal and process group. It also provides convenient options for

controlled shutdown.

</para>

<para>

In <option>start</option> mode, a new postmaster is launched. The

server is started in the background,the standard input attached to

server is started in the background,and standard input is attached to

<filename>/dev/null</filename>. The standard output and standard

error are either appended to a log file, if the <option>-l</option>

option is used, or are redirected to

<application>pg_ctl</application>'s standard output (not standard

error). If no log file is chosen, the standard output of

<application>pg_ctl</application> should be redirected to a file or

piped to another process, for example a log rotating program,

otherwise the postmaster will write its output the the controlling

error are either appended to a log file (if the <option>-l</option>

option is used), or redirected to <application>pg_ctl</application>'s

standard output (not standard error). If no log file is chosen, the

standard output of <application>pg_ctl</application> should be redirected

to a file or piped to another process, for example a log rotating program,

otherwise the postmaster will write its output to the controlling

terminal (from the background) and will not leave the shell's

process group.

</para>

not wait for clients to disconnect. All active transactions are

rolled back and clients are forcibly disconnected, then the

database is shut down. <quote>Immediate</quote> mode will abort

all server processes without clean shutdown. This will lead toa recovery

run on restart.

all server processes withoutaclean shutdown. This will lead to

a recoveryrun on restart.

</para>

<para>

</para>

<para>

<option>status</option> mode checks whether a postmaster is running

and if so displays the <acronym>PID</acronym> and the command line

options that were used to invoke it.

<option>status</option> mode checks whether a postmaster is running.

If it is, the <acronym>PID</acronym> and the command line

options that were used to invoke it are displayed.

</para>

</refsect1>

<para>

Specifies the location of the <filename>postmaster</filename>

executable. By default the postmaster is taken from the same

directory as <command>pg_ctl</>, or failing that, the hard-wired

directory as <command>pg_ctl</command>, or failing that, the hard-wired

installation directory. It is not necessary to use this

option unless you are doing something unusual and get errors

that the postmaster was not found.

<listitem>

<para>

Wait for the start or shutdown to complete. Times out after

60 seconds. This is the default for shutdowns.

60 seconds. This is the default for shutdowns. A successful

shutdown is indicated by removal of the <acronym>PID</scronym>

file. For starting up, a successful <command>psql -l</command>

indicates success. <command>pg_ctl</command> will attempt to

use the proper port for psql. If the environment variable

PGPORT exists, that is used. Otherwise, it will see if a port

has been set in the <filename>postgresql.conf</filename> file.

If neither of those is used, it will use the default port that

<productname>PostgreSQL</productname> was compiled with

(5432 by default).

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<listitem>

<para>

Default data direction location

Default data directory location.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><envar>PGPORT</envar></term>

<listitem>

<para>

Default port for <xref linkend="app-psql"> (used by the -w option).

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<refsect1>

<title>Files</title>

<para>

If the file <filename>postmaster.opts.default</filename> exists in

the data directory, the contents of the file will be passed as

options to the <application>postmaster</application>, unless

overridden by the <option>-o</option> option.

</para>

<variablelist>

<varlistentry>

<term><filename>postmaster.pid</filename></term>

<listitem>

<para>The existence of this file in the data directory is used to help

<application>pg_ctl</application> determine if the server is

currently running or not.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><filename>postmaster.opts.default</filename></term>

<listitem>

<para>If this file exists in the data directory,

<application>pg_ctl</application> (in <option>start</option> mode)

will pass the contents of the file as options to the

<application>postmaster</application>, unless overridden

by the <option>-o</option> option.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><filename>postmaster.opts</filename></term>

<listitem>

<para>If this file exists in the data directory,

<application>pg_ctl</application> (in <option>restart</option> mode)

will pass the contents of the file as options to the

<application>postmaster</application>, unless overridden

by the <option>-o</option> option. The contents of this file

are also displayed in <option>status</option> mode.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term><filename>postgresql.conf</filename></term>

<listitem>

<para>This file, located in the data directory, is parsed to

find the proper port to send to the

<application>psql</application> when the <option>-w</option>

is given in <option>start</option> mode.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

</variablelist>

</refsect1>

<para>

Waiting for complete start is not a well-defined operation and may

fail if access control is set up so that a local client cannot

connect without manual interaction. It should be avoided.

connect without manual interaction (e.g. password authentication).

</para>

</refsect1>

pg_ctl: pg_ctl.sh

sed -e's/@VERSION@/$(VERSION)/g'\

-e's,@bindir@,$(bindir),g'\

-e's,@DEF_PGPORT@,$(DEF_PGPORT),g'\

chmod a+x$@

bindir='@bindir@'

VERSION='@VERSION@'

DEF_PGPORT='@DEF_PGPORT@'

umask 077

DEFPOSTOPTS=$PGDATA/postmaster.opts.default

POSTOPTSFILE=$PGDATA/postmaster.opts

PIDFILE=$PGDATA/postmaster.pid

CONFFILE=$PGDATA/postgresql.conf

if ["$op"="status" ];then

if [-f"$PIDFILE" ];then

if ["$wait"= yes ];then

cnt=0

if"$PGPATH/psql" -l>/dev/null2>&1

if [-z$PGPORT ];then

PGPORT=`sed -ne's/^[ ]*port[^=]*=[ ]\+\([0-9]\+\).*/\1/p'$CONFFILE2>/dev/null`

if [-z$PGPORT ];then

PGPORT=$DEF_PGPORT

if ["$wait"= yes ];then

cnt=0

if"$PGPATH/psql" -p$PGPORT -l>/dev/null2>&1