BUG #4691: Installation error

The following bug has been logged online:

Bug reference: 4691
Logged by: Gregory Clark
Email address: gregwillclark(at)hotmail(dot)com
PostgreSQL version: 8.2
Operating system: Windows Embedded Standard
Description: Installation error
Details:

I have a Windows Embedded Standard machine just for Postgres 8.2 and no
other application runs in the background.

I get an error when trying to install Postgre Database Server 8.1.The Error
is "Failed to run initdb: 1!
Please see the logfile in 'C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.1\tmp\initdb.log'.
Note! You must read/copy this logfile before you click OK, or it will be
automatically removed."

In the Log file "initdb.log" there are:
Begnning of log file:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----
The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user
"postgresql".
This user must also own the server process.

The database cluster will be initialized with locale C.

fixing permissions on existing directory C:/Program
Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/global ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_xlog ... ok
creating directory C:/Program
Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_xlog/archive_status ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_clog ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_subtrans ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_twophase ... ok
creating directory C:/Program
Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_multixact/members
... ok
creating directory C:/Program
Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_multixact/offsets
... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/base ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/base/1 ... ok
creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_tblspc ... ok
selecting default max_connections ... The system cannot find the file
specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
10
selecting default shared_buffers ... The system cannot find the file
specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
The system cannot find the file specified.
50
creating configuration files ... ok
creating template1 database in C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/base/1
... ok
initializing pg_authid ... The system cannot find the file specified.
child process was terminated by signal 1
initdb: removing contents of data directory "C:/Program
Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

----
End Of Log File

From this log i can't tell what file is missing and i can't fix the
problem.

Please email response back on how to solve the problem or how to find out
who the missing file is..

mail: gregwillclark(at)hotmail(dot)com

"Gregory Clark" <gregwillclark(at)hotmail(dot)com> writes:
> I get an error when trying to install Postgre Database Server 8.1.The Error
> is "Failed to run initdb: 1!

Why are you trying to install 8.1? We don't support that on Windows
anymore, for good and sufficient reasons.

> creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_tblspc ... ok
> selecting default max_connections ... The system cannot find the file
> specified.
> The system cannot find the file specified.
> The system cannot find the file specified.
> The system cannot find the file specified.
> The system cannot find the file specified.
> The system cannot find the file specified.
> 10
> selecting default shared_buffers ... The system cannot find the file
> specified.

It sorta looks like you are missing postgres.exe. But it's hard to
imagine why you'd have initdb and not that --- maybe a permissions
problem?

regards, tom lane

On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 9:32 PM, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
> "Gregory Clark" <gregwillclark(at)hotmail(dot)com> writes:
>> I get an error when trying to install Postgre Database Server 8.1.The Error
>> is "Failed to run initdb: 1!
>
> Why are you trying to install 8.1?  We don't support that on Windows
> anymore, for good and sufficient reasons.
>
>> creating directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.1/data/pg_tblspc ... ok
>> selecting default max_connections ... The system cannot find the file
>> specified.
>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>> 10
>> selecting default shared_buffers ... The system cannot find the file
>> specified.
>
> It sorta looks like you are missing postgres.exe.  But it's hard to
> imagine why you'd have initdb and not that --- maybe a permissions
> problem?

initdb will bail out before it gets to that point if it can't find postgres.exe.

I'm wondering about the use of Windows Embedded. I'm not sure if
anyone has ever tested that - and personally I have no idea whether it
may be cut down in ways that may affect Postgres.

--
Dave Page
EnterpriseDB UK: http://www.enterprisedb.com

Dave Page <dpage(at)pgadmin(dot)org> writes:
> On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 9:32 PM, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
>> "Gregory Clark" <gregwillclark(at)hotmail(dot)com> writes:
>>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>>> The system cannot find the file specified.
>>> The system cannot find the file specified.

>> It sorta looks like you are missing postgres.exe. But it's hard to
>> imagine why you'd have initdb and not that --- maybe a permissions
>> problem?

> initdb will bail out before it gets to that point if it can't find postgres.exe.

Hmm. Maybe the complaints actually come from failing to load some DLL
that postgres.exe needs.

> I'm wondering about the use of Windows Embedded. I'm not sure if
> anyone has ever tested that - and personally I have no idea whether it
> may be cut down in ways that may affect Postgres.

... which would fit with the missing-DLL theory.

regards, tom lane

On Wed, Mar 4, 2009 at 9:47 PM, Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us> wrote:
> Dave Page <dpage(at)pgadmin(dot)org> writes:

>> initdb will bail out before it gets to that point if it can't find postgres.exe.
>
> Hmm.  Maybe the complaints actually come from failing to load some DLL
> that postgres.exe needs.

We don't delay-load anything, so we'd see the failure when initdb
calls find_other_exec to validate the version of postgres.exe. That
would fail, and initdb would abort. Besides - Windows always spits out
DLL not found messages in a message box for some annoying reason.

>> I'm wondering about the use of Windows Embedded. I'm not sure if
>> anyone has ever tested that - and personally I have no idea whether it
>> may be cut down in ways that may affect Postgres.
>
> ... which would fit with the missing-DLL theory.

I was wondering if there are limitations or incompatibilities in the
ipc apis for example.

--
Dave Page
EnterpriseDB UK: http://www.enterprisedb.com