@craig i am on mac os x 10.5 and i installed via macports using robby russel pg install guide. here is the initdb... Init your new PostgreSQL database with: initdb -D pgdata Start up PostgreSQL with: pg_ctl -D pgdata -l pgdata/psql.log start Create a new database with: createdb argon_development Test the new database with: psql argon_development Did it load up your new database? If so, great! If not… check your steps… :-) so i read the pg manual and figured the db path should be what i tried and then replace the path from another instruction. which didn't work. i also tried the tar db path and move it to the new location. that worked but i think it changes the ownership. i did chown posgres (user) on the folder, but i don't think it applies to the contents of the folder. that could be my problem. i will look at the .conf file and then try the pg_dump and pg_restore. once you do a pg_dump will it leave the current db at it states. i was concerned that it might do some damage and then my data would be destroyed. i also read about -o during pg_dump but frankly i didn't understand it. yes, i am using foreign keys in ruby. i really don't understand the 2nd half pg_restore, do you copy the file and move it to the new server, if so where, before you run pg_restore. thanks. On Jun 12, 5:54 pm, cr...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Craig Ringer) wrote: > iztech wrote: > > On Jun 12, 6:31 am, iztech <rashan...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > >> i have just switched to posgresql and installed for use with ruby. > > >> i need to move my app and database to a new server. since i can shut > >> down the server i think it will be easier for me to do a file system > >> level back up. > > pg_dump and pg_restore should be just as good. If you're having trouble > manging postgresql they're probably a safer bet. > > >> when i try to shut the server down i get this message > > >> sudo -u postgres pg_ctl -D /opt/local/var/db/postgresql82/defaultdb > >> stop > >> pg_ctl: PID file "/opt/local/var/db/postgresql82/defaultdb/ > > can anyone let me know how i can tell where the db are located? > > You've left out some key information, like your operating system, OS > version, postgresql version, and how you installed postgresql. > > In general you should use the OS init script if provided to start and > stop postgresql. With most packaged Pg installs you can find the data > directory by examining the data_directory parameter in postgresql.conf, > which will normally be in a 'postgresql' directory under /etc . > > If you hand-installed it (which looks like the case based on your > command line, above) then you should really know where the data > directory is because you had to run initdb to create it. > > The -D argument on the command line above is the path to your data > directory. It's not clear whether that command is just copied & pasted > from somewhere else, because I'm a bit confused as to why you'd be > asking where the data directory was if you understood that. Check > postgresql.conf to confirm that the -D argumenet above is actually correct. > > >> this is my first time attempting this. can someone suggest an easy > >> tutorial on this. > > If you're new to Pg, just get the packages for your operating system if > they're reasonably recent. You can then use the OS init scripts and > normal management tools to handle Pg. > > >> i have set up the new server with the same permissions so i should be > >> able to move the db to the new location. > > Maybe. The version must be the same except for the patchlevel, eg > "8.2.1" is compatible with "8.2.3" but not "8.3.1". In general it is > MUCH SAFER to just use pg_dump and pg_restore to migrate your data. > > -- > Craig Ringer > > -- > Sent via pgsql-general mailing list (pgsql-gene...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx) > To make changes to your subscription:http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pgsql-general
