Allow configuration files to be placed outside the data directory.

Add new postgresql.conf variables to point to data, pg_hba.conf, and
pg_ident.conf files.

Needs more documentation.

2 files changed, 69 insertions, 8 deletions

diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/postmaster.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/postmaster.sgml
index 96bacf054af..0e22d342136 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/postmaster.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/postmaster.sgml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <!--
-$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/postmaster.sgml,v 1.50 2004/06/21 04:06:04 tgl Exp $
+$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/ref/postmaster.sgml,v 1.51 2004/07/11 00:18:41 momjian Exp $
 PostgreSQL documentation
 -->
 
@@ -67,15 +67,28 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
    One <command>postmaster</command> always manages the data
    from exactly one database cluster.  A database cluster is a
    collection of databases that is stored at a common file system
-   location.  When the <command>postmaster</command> starts it needs to know the location
-   of the database cluster files (<quote>data area</quote>).  This is
-   done with the <option>-D</option> invocation option or the
-   <envar>PGDATA</envar> environment variable; there is no default.
-   More than one <command>postmaster</command> process can run on a system at one time,
-   as long as they use different data areas and different
+   location.  When the <command>postmaster</command> starts it needs 
+   to know the location of the database cluster files (<quote>data 
+   area</quote>).  
+   More than one <command>postmaster</command> process can run on a system
+   at one time as long as they use different data areas and different
    communication ports (see below).  A data area is created with <xref
    linkend="app-initdb">.
   </para>
+
+  <para>
+   The <quote>data area</> is specified by the <option>-D</option> option
+   or the <envar>PGDATA</envar> environment variable; there is no default.
+   Typically, it points to a directory created by <application>
+   initdb</>.  However, for administrative flexibility, you can
+   point to a directory containing only configuration files:
+   <filename>postgresql.conf</>, <filename>pg_hba.conf</>, and
+   <filename>pg_ident.conf</>. You can then set
+   <filename>postgresql.conf</>'s <varname>pgdata</> to point to the
+   data directory. You can also point just to the server configuration file
+   like <filename>postgresql.conf</> and set its variables to point to the
+   other configuration files and the data directory.
+  </para>
  </refsect1>
 
  <refsect1 id="app-postmaster-options">
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
index 69871d474ce..b249d9a5c24 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <!--
-$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v 1.268 2004/06/27 22:58:19 tgl Exp $
+$PostgreSQL: pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml,v 1.269 2004/07/11 00:18:40 momjian Exp $
 -->
 
 <Chapter Id="runtime">
@@ -563,6 +563,54 @@ SET ENABLE_SEQSCAN TO OFF;
     any desired selection condition.
    </para>
     
+   <sect2 id="runtime-config-configuration-files">
+    <title>Configuration Files</title>
+
+     <variablelist>
+
+     <varlistentry id="guc-pgdata" xreflabel="pgdata">
+      <term><varname>pgdata</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+         Specifies the directory to use for data storage (everything except
+         configuration files).
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="guc-hba-conf" xreflabel="hba-conf">
+      <term><varname>hba_conf</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+         Specifies the file name to use for configuration of host-based 
+         authentication (HBA).
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="guc-ident-conf" xreflabel="ident-conf">
+      <term><varname>ident_conf</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+         Specifies the file name to use for configuration of 
+         <application>ident</> authentication.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     <varlistentry id="external-pidfile" xreflabel="external-pidfile">
+      <term><varname>external_pidfile</varname> (<type>string</type>)</term>
+      <listitem>
+       <para>
+         Specifies the location of an additional <application>postmaster</>
+         process-id (PID) file for use by server administration programs.
+       </para>
+      </listitem>
+     </varlistentry>
+
+     </variablelist>
+   </sect2>
+
    <sect2 id="runtime-config-connection">
     <title>Connections and Authentication</title>