From: Ross J. Reedstrom <reedstrm@rice.edu>
To: Lindell Alderman <lindell@axispt.com>
Cc: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: backup/restore
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2000 09:54:36 -0500
Message-ID: <20000911095436.D13906@rice.edu> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20000908161320.C18742@axispt.com>
References: <20000908161320.C18742@axispt.com>
On Fri, Sep 08, 2000 at 04:13:20PM -0700, Lindell Alderman wrote:
> I am trying to backup and restore a database, but when run the following:
>
> dropdb test
> createdb test
>
> I find that the newly created database "test" is not empty but still has
> all of the old relations and tables in it. How do I destroy a database
> so that it is truly gone!?!?!? I need a totally clean databaes to restore
> my data into.
I'm going to put on my swami hat and read your mind now:
Ah, your using Linux, specifically the Debian distribution, are you not?
The problem is that psql by default connects to a database named the same
as the unix username, except on Debian, where it defaults to connecting
to the template1 database, since this is guaranteed to always exist. The
primary purpose of template1 is to serve as a (surprise) template to
build new databases on.
What does this mean? Well, if you put anything in template1 (like install
the pgpsql scipt language) it will, be default, be installed in all your
new dbs.
Unfortunately, if you accidently create tables in template1 (on Debian,
just forgetting to put the db name in a psql command line will do it),
they'll end up getting copied into every new db after that.
So, connect to template1, and delete everything you don't want from there.
Ross (learned from experience, I did)
--
Ross J. Reedstrom, Ph.D., <reedstrm@rice.edu>
NSBRI Research Scientist/Programmer
Computer and Information Technology Institute
Rice University, 6100 S. Main St., Houston, TX 77005
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To: pgsql-admin@postgresql.org
Cc: reedstrm@rice.edu, lindell@axispt.com
Subject: Re: backup/restore
In-Reply-To: <20000911095436.D13906@rice.edu>
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