Re: Dead-end in PostgreSQL 8.0 fresh installation (while

Jarkko Elfving <jarelf(at)ebaana(dot)net> writes:
> Yes. I'm using the RPM's and yes I'd used /etc/init.d/postgresql but it
> fails with errors:

> # /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql start
> Initializing database: [FAILED]
> Starting postgresql service: [FAILED]

> I did the folder /var/lib/pgsql as documets tells me to do and give
> rights to postgres as user and a group (hmm... I don't know how say this
> properly, so I paste the command what I was used:

Uh, /var/lib/pgsql should have been created for you by RPM installation.
I'm starting to think you have a corrupted postgresql-server RPM.

Also, in your prior message:

> bash-3.00$ initdb -D=/var/lib/pgsql/data/
> fgets failure: Success
> The program "postgres" is needed by initdb but was not found in the
> same directory as "/usr/bin/initdb".
> Check your installation.

As best I can tell from the source code, this could only happen if
"/usr/bin/postgres -V" failed. What happens if you do that by hand?
What does "ls -l /usr/bin/postgres" show?

regards, tom lane