How to startup the database server?

[Jason Ma <rosegun38@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi all,

   I am a freshman of PostgreSQL, My env: PG 8.4 on CentOS,I follow the document in the offical site to startup the db server. Here's what I do below, the database cluster is ready, but I can't start the database server.

[root@testbox ~]# service postgresql initdb

Data directory is not empty!                               [FAILED]

[root@testbox ~]# service postgresql start

Starting postgresql service:                               [FAILED]

-bash-4.1$ postgres -D /var/lib/pgsql/data

-bash-4.1$ ps -ef |grep postgres

root      2710  2585  0 21:52 pts/1    00:00:00 su - postgres

postgres  2711  2710  0 21:52 pts/1    00:00:00 -bash

postgres  2752  2711  0 21:55 pts/1    00:00:00 ps -ef

postgres  2753  2711  0 21:55 pts/1    00:00:00 grep postgres

-bash-4.1$ postgres -D /var/lib/pgsql/data > binlog 2>&1 &

-bash-4.1$ ps -ef |grep postgres

root      2710  2585  0 21:52 pts/1    00:00:00 su - postgres

postgres  2711  2710  0 21:52 pts/1    00:00:00 -bash

postgres  2768  2711  1 21:59 pts/1    00:00:00 ps -ef

postgres  2769  2711  0 21:59 pts/1    00:00:00 grep postgres

I wonder why I can't start the database? Do I have some place to see the log file. Hope anybody can help me. Thanks.

--
Best wishes,

Jason Ma