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# PostgreSQL Notes                                                        #
# Anuradha Weeraman, 25 February 2000                                     #
# $Id: postgresql.txt,v 1.1 2004/06/02 21:17:54 anuradha Exp $            #
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This is what i have got from reading /usr/doc/postgresql-doc/indexpage.html
as far as i see, pgsql looks to be a really stable rdbms very much similar
to MySQL but a bit more resource hungry but much more reliable.

* to start the pgsql server, one has to start the postmaster, which can be
  done on debian by '/etc/init.d/postgresql start'

* psql is the client that can be used to query the db
	psql [-d dbname] [-h host] [-f filename] [-l] [-o filename]
	     [-p port] [-q] [-s] [-u] [-x]

	     -f : can be used to specify file to get sql input from
	     -l : used to display the databases, must be used with -u
	     -o : to sent output to a file
	     -q : quiet mode, good for shell scripts
	     -s : single-step-mode
	     -u : prompt for username and password
	     -x : turn on extended row format

  some psql commands are :
  	\connect dbname username
  	\copy table {FROM | TO} filename
  	\d [table]	-	list tables in database or if table is
  				specified, list the fields of the table
  	\da		-	list aggregates
  	\dd		-	list the description of the table, 
  				table.column, type, operator or aggregate.
  	\df		-	list functions
  	\di		-	list only indexes
  	\do		-	list only operators
  	\ds		-	list only sequences
  	\dS		-	list system tables and indexes
  	\dt		-	list only tables
  	\dT		-	list types
  	\e [filename]	-	edit the current query buffer or file
  	\E [filename]	-	edit the current query buffer or file
  				and execute it upon editor exit
  	\f [separator]	-	set the field separator, default=space
  	\g [|command]
  	   [filename]	-	send the current query input buffer to the
  	   			backend and optionally save the output in
  	   			filename or pipe the output into |command.
  	\h [command]	-	give syntax help
  	\H		-	toggle HTML3 output
  	\i [filename]	-	read queries from filename into query input
  				buffer
  	\l		-	list all databases in the server
  	\m		-	toggle old monitor-like table display
  	\o [|command]
  	   [filename]	-	send query results to filename or pipe into
  	   			command. default=stdout
  	\p		-	print the current query buffer
  	\q		-	quit the psql program
  	\r		-	reset/clear the query buffer
  	\s [filename]	-	save commandline histor to filename
	\t		-	toggle display of output column name headings
				and row count (default=on)
	\T		-	set HTML3.0 <table....> options
	\x		-	toggles extended row format
	\w [filename]	-	output current query buffer to filename
	\z		-	produce a list of all tables in database with
				their appropriate ACLs (grant/revoke
				permissions) listed
	\! [command]	-	execute shell command
	\?		-	get help about the \ commands

* command 'createuser' can be used to create users as the filename suggests.
	syntax : createuser [-dD] [-uU] [-h host] [-p port] [-i id] [username]
		-d : authority to create databases
		-D : can't create databases
		-u : authority to add new users
		-U : u guessed it!!!
  this command has nothing to do with the linux's own /etc/passwd file and
  is something totally restricted to pgsql.

* command 'destroyuser -u username' can be used to do the opposite.

* to create groups, edit 'pg_group' and issue the 'grant' command.

* databases can be created on the commandline with 'createdb'. the person
  who issues this command becomes the administrator, or DBA, for this
  database and is the only person other than the postgres superuser who
  can destroy this. createdb is a shell script that uses psql and hence
  postmaster needs to be running on the machine.
  	syntax : createdb [-D path] [-h host] [-p port] [-u] [dbname]
  		-D : specifies the alternate database location
  		-u : prompts for username and password
  	or within psql :
  		create database dbname;

  databases can be removed using 'destroydb'.
  	syntax : destroydb [-i] [-h host] [-p port] [-u] [dbname]
  		-i : interactive
  		-u : prompts for username and password
  	or withing psql:
  		drop database dbname;
* databases can be backed up using the 'pg_dump' command.
	> pg_dump dbname > dbname.pgdump
	and restored with :
	> cat dbname.pgdump | psql dbname

	> pg_dump dbname | gzip > filename.dump.gz
	and restored with :
	> createdb dbname
	> gunzip -c filename.dump.gz | psql dbname
	or :
	> cat filename.dump.gz | gunzip | psql dbname

	if u are dumping to removable media with limited storage :
	> pg_dump dbname | split -b 1m - filename.dump.
        reload with :
	> createdb dbname
	> cat filename.dump.* | pgsql dbname

* there are some variables in /etc/postgresql/postmaster.init (debian) that you
  have to uncomment to allow the network to access pgsql over tcp/ip, they
  are PGALLOWTCPIP and PGPORT. hopefully these will be all that is required.