"pg_ctl restart" seems to not work as documented in postgresql 7.1.2. bash-2.04$ /usr/bin/pg_ctl restart -w -D /var/lib/pgsql/data -m fast waiting for postmaster to shut down......done postmaster successfully shut down /usr/bin/postmaster: invalid argument -- '-D' Try '/usr/bin/postmaster --help' for more information. waiting for postmaster to start................................................................failed pg_ctl: postmaster does not start bash-2.04$ (it was ctrl-C'ed after taking forever in "start...") The documentation says this is a valid combination, or am I missing something? [root@xyzzy2 data]# pg_ctl --help pg_ctl is a utility to start, stop, restart, and report the status of a PostgreSQL server. Usage: pg_ctl start [-w] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-l FILENAME] [-o "OPTIONS"] pg_ctl stop [-W] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-m SHUTDOWN-MODE] pg_ctl restart [-w] [-D DATADIR] [-s] [-m SHUTDOWN-MODE] [-o "OPTIONS"] pg_ctl status [-D DATADIR] Common options: -D DATADIR Location of the database storage area -s Only print errors, no informational messages -w Wait until operation completes -W Do not wait until operation completes (The default is to wait for shutdown, but not for start or restart.) If the -D option is omitted, the environment variable PGDATA is used. Options for start or restart: -l FILENAME Write (or append) server log to FILENAME. The use of this option is highly recommended. -o OPTIONS Command line options to pass to the postmaster (PostgreSQL server executable) -p PATH-TO-POSTMASTER Normally not necessary Options for stop or restart: -m SHUTDOWN-MODE May be 'smart', 'fast', or 'immediate' Shutdown modes are: smart Quit after all clients have disconnected fast Quit directly, with proper shutdown immediate Quit without complete shutdown; will lead to recovery run on restart Report bugs to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. [root@xyzzy2 data]# -- Trond Eivind Glomsrød Red Hat, Inc. ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 5: Have you checked our extensive FAQ? http://www.postgresql.org/users-lounge/docs/faq.html