About a year or two ago I submitted a configuration patch that allowed PostgreSQL to be fully configured by postgresql.conf -- enabling data and configuration to be in separate locations. The idea was that, like most UNIX systems, that the configuration file could be stored in the /etc directory (or /etc/postgres or /usr/etc or whatever) and it could contain all the various system directory and file locations, like pg_hba, and so on.
There was a lot of debate about it, and I don't recall many arguments against this sort of configuration strategy, only that there was a dislike of my patch because it wasn't an all encompassing re-write of the configuration system. I have been maintaining it for the various versions of PostgreSQL since that time for my own use, can we re-open this debate? It has been a good deal of time with no progress, and I don't think anyone can deny that a more flexable configuration based on the idea that configuration and data are in SEPARATE locations is important. ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 6: Have you searched our list archives? http://archives.postgresql.org