Re: PostgreSQL Service on Windows does not start if data directory given is relative path

On Tue, Jan 12, 2014 David Rowley wrote:
>>I have found a case that PostgreSQL as win32 service does not start, if the data directory given as relative path.
>>Error observed in this case is:
>> "The PostgreSQL on Local Computer started and then stopped".
>>This may happen because relative path given will be relative to path from where service is registered but
>>the path from where WIN32 service execution gets invoked may be different and hence it won't be able
>>to find the data directory.
>>I have fixed the same by internally converting the relative path to absolute path as it is being done for executable file.
>Hi,
>I've not quite got around to testing this yet, but I think the patch is a good idea as I can see that I can use a relative path when I start postgres.exe from the command line, I guess the behaviour should likely be the same when installed as a windows
> service.

Thanks for reviewing and providing the first level of feedback.

>So, I've just been looking over this patch and I'm just wondering about a few things:

>In pgwin32_CommandLine you declare dbPath, it looks like you could declare this in the scope of; if (pg_config)

Yes I have declared the same in the scope of "if (pg_config) "

>In find_my_abs_path you're making a call to StrNCpy, I know you likely just used find_my_exec as an example here, but I'd say the use of StrNCpy is not really needed here and is a bit of a waste of cycles. I'd rather see strlcpy being used as strncpy
> will needlessly zero the remaining buffer space.
Yes you are right, it is much better to use strlcpy instead of StrNCpy. I have modified the patch.

>Also in find_my_abs_path, I'm just wondering if the cwd variable is really needed, I think you could just use retpath each time and it would also save a little bit of copying that's done in join_path_components(). By the looks of it you can just call
> join_path_components(retpath, retpath, inpath). Perhaps some people would disagree, but I'm not really seeing the harm in it and it saves some copying too.
Yes I am also convinced with your suggestion. It really avoid one level of copy.
I have seen that the similar mechanism is used in many places where join_path_components() is called. So I think it should be OK to use in our case also.
I have made the necessary changes for the same.

I have attached the changed patch. Please provide your further feedback, if any.

Thanks and Regards,

Kumar Rajeev Rastogi