Re: read-only database on CD-ROM?

Dragan Matic <mlists(at)panforma(dot)co(dot)yu> writes:
> Is it possible to set up a read-only database on external data carrier
> such as CD-ROM or DVD?

It's not really supported. I think you could make it work if you did
VACUUM FREEZE in the database, and then CHECKPOINT, just before burning
it on CD. You can *not* put a whole $PGDATA directory on CD, as the
xlog and clog have to be writable; but you could put one database
subdirectory there. (It would be a lot easier to use 8.0 and make the
moved-out tree a tablespace, probably.)

A big caveat is that I'm not sure the CD would work if attached to a
different $PGDATA tree, as for instance after a reinstallation. It
could definitely not be counted on to work across PG version upgrades.
So all in all the answer is probably "not worth the trouble".

regards, tom lane