Errors starting postgres after initializing new database

On 27 April 2010 21:30, Chris Barnes <compuguruchrisbarnes@hotmail.com>wrote:

I have just initialized a database with no errors, used the postgresql.conf
file from another system running 8.4.2.
Attempted to start and got the fatal error below.
I than ran pgtune and got the same error.

I am not sure what the problem is? Is there more detailed logging than
below, or can be turned on?

CentOS release 5.4 (Final) (installed and working)
CentOS release 5.2 (Final) (failing)

after pgtune
olap.rownum_name = 'default'
maintenance_work_mem = 1GB # pg_generate_conf wizard 2010-04-27
effective_cache_size = 22GB # pg_generate_conf wizard 2010-04-27
work_mem = 96MB # pg_generate_conf wizard 2010-04-27
shared_buffers = 7680MB # pg_generate_conf wizard 2010-04-27
~
~

[root@rc-rec-five pgtune-0.9.0]# /etc/init.d/postgresql stop
Stopping postgresql service: [FAILED]
[root@rc-rec-five pgtune-0.9.0]# /etc/init.d/postgresql start
Starting postgresql service: [FAILED]
[root@rc-rec-five pgtune-0.9.0]# cat pgstartup.log
cat: pgstartup.log: No such file or directory
[root@rc-rec-five pgtune-0.9.0]# cat /data/pgsql/data/pgstartup.log
2010-04-27 16:19:17 EDT FATAL: requested shared memory size overflows
size_t
2010-04-27 16:22:27 EDT FATAL: requested shared memory size overflows
size_t

/var/log/messages/
Apr 27 13:57:56 rc-rec5 ntpd[2990]: synchronized to 206.248.171.198,
stratum 1
Apr 27 16:13:45 rc-rec5 postgres[5717]: [1-1] 2010-04-27 16:13:45 EDT
FATAL: requested shared memory size overflows size_t
Apr 27 16:19:17 rc-rec5 postgres[7736]: [1-1] 2010-04-27 16:19:17 EDT
FATAL: requested shared memory size overflows size_t
Apr 27 16:22:27 rc-rec5 postgres[9648]: [1-1] 2010-04-27 16:22:27 EDT
FATAL: requested shared memory size overflows size_t

This might sound like a strange question, but are the architectures of the

servers different? Specifically, is the failing server 32-bit and the
working server 64-bit? And what architecture is PostgreSQL built against on
the failing server?

Thom

Chris Barnes wrote:

2010-04-27 16:19:17 EDT FATAL: requested shared memory size
overflows size_t

This is what happens if you try and use a postgresql.conf with
parameters set for a 64-bit installation on a 32-bit operating system.
You're trying to do this:

shared_buffers = 7680MB

But the 32-bit Centos 5.2 you're using doesn't allow you to allocate
more than 2GB of RAM for that. If there really is around 32GB of RAM in
there, like I'm assuming the 5.4 system has for pgtune to made this
suggestion, you certainly will need to install a 64-it OS on it to take
advantage of that usefully.

--
Greg Smith 2ndQuadrant US Baltimore, MD
PostgreSQL Training, Services and Support
greg@2ndQuadrant.com www.2ndQuadrant.us