Re: [HACKERS] location of the configuration files

[mlw]

Bruce Momjian wrote:

Oliver Elphick wrote:
  

On Thu, 2003-02-13 at 17:52, Vince Vielhaber wrote:
    

Seems to me that if FHS allows such a mess, it's reason enough to avoid
compliance.  Either that or those of you who build for distributions are
making an ill advised change.  Simply because the distribution makes the
decision to add PostgreSQL, or some other package, to it's distribution
doesn't make it a requirement to change the location of the config files.
      

Debian (and FHS) specifically requires that.  All configuration files
MUST be under /etc; the reason is to make the system administrator's job
easier.  Part of the raison d'etre of a distribution is to rationalise
the idiosyncrasies of individual projects.  The locations used by
locally-built packages are up to the local administrator, but they
really should not be in /etc and are recommended to be under /usr/local.

I really don't see why there is such a not-invented-here mentality about
this issue.  I say again, standards-compliance is the best way.  It
makes life easier for everyone if standards are followed.  Don't we
pride ourselves on being closer to the SQL spec than other databases? 
Any way, if PostgreSQL stays as it is, I will continue to have to ensure
that initdb creates symlinks to /etc/postgresql/, as happens now.
    

It doesn't have anything to do with "not-invented-here", which is a
common refrain by people who don't like our decisions, like "Why don't
you use mmap()?  Oh, it's because I thought of it and you didn't".  Does
anyone seriously believe that is the motiviation of anyone in this
project!  I certainly don't.

Now, on to this configuration discussion.  Seems moving the config file
out of $PGDATA requies either:
	
	1) we specifiy both the config directory and the data directory on
	postmaster start
	
	2) we specify the pgdata directory inside postgresql.conf or
	other config file

Is this accurate?
  

The patch that I have adds three settings to postgresql.conf and one command line parameter.

hba_conf = 'filename'
ident_conf='filename'
data_dir='path'

The command linae parameter is  -C, used as:

postmaster -C /usr/local/etc/postgresql.conf

I think this will help administrators.

Bruce, can you shed some light as to why this is being so strongly rejected. I just don't see any downside. I just don't get it.

I will be resubmitting my patch for the 7.3.2 tree.