Hi,

I am under debian sarge and it is running well.
I've been trying to install postgreSQL 7.8.4 and it was working.
After trying to customize my postgresql installation, the service wasn't
available any more. Prb with postmaster and pid file.
The only way to restart the linux box was to rename the init script from
S* to K*. I've deleted all postgresql files (conf and others) ...
Now, it is impossible to reinstall postgresql via apt-get (dpkg
--configure failure)
I ve tried to compile it manually, it works, but no way to start postmaster.
How can I clean my box ? My log files don't give useful information.
(I am not a Linux Guru)

Thanks and happy new year.
roGGery

news.free.fr <roggery (AT) free (DOT) fr> wrote:
That's a little difficult, as you seem to have messed up your installation
unnecessarily.

The message about the pid file usually means that you are trying to start
the server, but it finds a pid file (which is something that PostgreSQL
uses to determine if the server is already running) and refuses to start.

pid files get left behind when the server crashes, you kill it -9, or hit
the big red swith or similar.

Can you uninstall the package?
Have you removed all the S* and K* files for PostgreSQL that may still be
on the machine?
Maybe you can get dpkg to tell you where it has a problem; isn't there
a --debug switch?

Yours,
Laurenz Albe

Then I reinstall but I've to install simultanously postgresql and
postgresql-client to make the installation work.

Thanks for your help.