PostgreSQL from a newcomers perspective

B. van Ouwerkerk writes:

Installation went fine. I decided to read the long version.. at some point
I was told to create a user postgres.
I didn't find recommended settings for this user like if it needs a shell
and where the users homedir is supposed to be.. I mean.. I can understand
that PostgreSQL would require something simular to MySQL.. if it does..
then I would expect it to be in the docs->installation->long version.

Agreed, that could be added.

Here I find myself behind a Linux box that can't connect via PHP.. solved
that one too.. Found the solution quicker on PHP.net then on
postgresql.org.. even searched for postmaster -i (and other keywords I
could think of) on postgresql.org.. no results.. FWIW.. seaching for the
keyword postmaster did turn up the app_postmaster page..

Would you care to tell us what you had to do? Because using the standard
installation I can connect via PHP just fine.

--
Peter Eisentraut peter_e@gmx.net

Here I find myself behind a Linux box that can't connect via PHP.. solved
that one too.. Found the solution quicker on PHP.net then on
postgresql.org.. even searched for postmaster -i (and other keywords I
could think of) on postgresql.org.. no results.. FWIW.. seaching for the
keyword postmaster did turn up the app_postmaster page..

Would you care to tell us what you had to do? Because using the standard
installation I can connect via PHP just fine.

I couldn't without modifying either postgresql.conf or start PostgreSQL
with --i

Obvious if you know it.. but not if you're new..

B.

B. van Ouwerkerk writes:

Would you care to tell us what you had to do? Because using the standard
installation I can connect via PHP just fine.

I couldn't without modifying either postgresql.conf or start PostgreSQL
with --i

There must be something wrong. PHP should be able to connect via
Unix-domain sockets.

--
Peter Eisentraut peter_e@gmx.net

Here I find myself behind a Linux box that can't connect via PHP.. solved
that one too.. Found the solution quicker on PHP.net then on
postgresql.org.. even searched for postmaster -i (and other keywords I
could think of) on postgresql.org.. no results.. FWIW.. seaching for the
keyword postmaster did turn up the app_postmaster page..

Would you care to tell us what you had to do? Because using the standard
installation I can connect via PHP just fine.

I couldn't without modifying either postgresql.conf or start PostgreSQL
with --i

Only one -

This was on a default install as per instructions found on the
postgresql.org website. Started as per the same instructions:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/installation.html

B.

I couldn't without modifying either postgresql.conf or start PostgreSQL
with --i

There must be something wrong. PHP should be able to connect via
Unix-domain sockets.

I'll be the first to admit that I might have made a mistake. This is on a
box I use for testing only.. so nothing bad will happen if I muck things up..

This is the error I got in my errorlog:
Unable to connect to PostgreSQL server: could not connect to server:
Connection refused
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/5432"?
in /path_to/filename.php on line 61

From a little search on Google it seems a pretty common problem.. So if I
made a mistake I'm probably not the first :-)

B.

On Mon, 2003-12-01 at 17:50, B. van Ouwerkerk wrote:

This is the error I got in my errorlog:
Unable to connect to PostgreSQL server: could not connect to server:
Connection refused
Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/5432"?
in /path_to/filename.php on line 61

That socket path is wrong. It should be /tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432. How is PHP
getting it?

--
Oliver Elphick Oliver.Elphick@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight, UK http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
GPG: 1024D/3E1D0C1C: CA12 09E0 E8D5 8870 5839 932A 614D 4C34 3E1D 0C1C
========================================
"Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is
like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises,
doing wonders?" Exodus 15:11

The problem here is really on the PHP side, because the docs of PHP don't
tell you how to create a connect string that works for local Postgres
installs (well, the docs exist, but they are hard to find).

For PEAR, it's

$db = DB::connect('pgsql://USERNAME@unix(/tmp)/DBNAME');

Jon

On Mon, 1 Dec 2003, Peter Eisentraut wrote:

Is the server running locally and accepting
connections on Unix domain socket "/tmp/5432"?
in /path_to/filename.php on line 61

That socket path is wrong. It should be /tmp/.s.PGSQL.5432. How is PHP
getting it?

No idea. The socket path seems to be correct.. at least.. it looks to me
like PHP is looking at the right place.. As soon as I start PG with the -i
option PHP connects just fine.. just like when I modify postgresql.conf..

When I run with the -i option I'm getting something listening at port 5432
but it doesn't appear when running without -i.. tested it with netstat..

I was testing with an app of which I know it supports PG.. Will see if how
it flies if I throw some code together myself. This will be interesting..

B.

In this case I found the problem to originate from the application, it uses
tcp/ip to connect..

Right now I can connect without any problem by using:
$dbconn = pg_connect("dbname=name_of_database user=user_name
password=just_a_password");

Great!!! I can't wait until I get my hands on a few good books..

B.

At 10:59 01-12-2003 -0800, Jonathan Bartlett wrote:

El Lun 01 Dic 2003 13:21, Peter Eisentraut escribió:

B. van Ouwerkerk writes:

Would you care to tell us what you had to do? Because using the
standard installation I can connect via PHP just fine.

I couldn't without modifying either postgresql.conf or start PostgreSQL
with --i

There must be something wrong. PHP should be able to connect via
Unix-domain sockets.

It does, but I guess only when you don't specify a host.

pg_connect("dbname=DB");

If you specify a host it will use TCP connections.

--
El mejor sistema operativo es aquel que te da de comer.
Cuida tu dieta.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Marques | mmarques@unl.edu.ar
Programador, Administrador | Centro de Telematica
Universidad Nacional
del Litoral
-----------------------------------------------------------------

----- Original Message -----
From: "B. van Ouwerkerk" <bvo@atz.nl>

I couldn't without modifying either postgresql.conf or start PostgreSQL
with --i

Only one -

Technically speaking this is as much a PHP coding issue as it is a
PostgreSQL issue. If the PHP connection string has a host field in it,
libpq will try to connect via a tcp/ip rather than local socket. PHP can
still connect locally if the socket is specified properly (see PHP manual
for information).

I would, however, suggest that this is not expected behavior from a beginner
standpoint, and it would be useful to add a paragraph to the documentation
in the post-install setup section concerning the setting tcpip_sockets in
the postgresql.conf file. I have seen this one baffle others too,

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers