database/postgres
1
0
Fork 0
mirror of https://github.com/postgres/postgres.git synced 2025-08-28 18:48:04 +03:00
Code Activity

Markup fixes.

Browse Source 
Update for v6.5 release.
This commit is contained in:
Thomas G. Lockhart
1999-05-27 15:49:08 +00:00
parent 7d831b5379
commit b805230906
6 changed files with 588 additions and 511 deletions
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

205
doc/src/sgml/notation.sgml
View File

@@ -1,110 +1,127 @@
<sect1>
<title>Terminology</title>
<title>Terminology</title>
<para>
In the following documentation,
<firstterm>site</firstterm>
may be interpreted as the host machine on which
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> is installed.
Since it is possible to install more than one set of
<Productname>Postgres</Productname>
databases on a single host, this term more precisely denotes any
particular set of installed
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> binaries and databases.
</para>
<para>
In the following documentation,
<firstterm>site</firstterm>
may be interpreted as the host machine on which
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> is installed.
Since it is possible to install more than one set of
<Productname>Postgres</Productname>
databases on a single host, this term more precisely denotes any
particular set of installed
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> binaries and databases.
</para>
<para>
The
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> <firstterm>superuser</firstterm>
is the user named <replaceable>postgres</replaceable>
who owns the <Productname>Postgres</Productname>
binaries and database files. As the database superuser, all
protection mechanisms may be bypassed and any data accessed
arbitrarily.
In addition, the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser is allowed to execute
some support programs which are generally not available to all users.
Note that the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser is
<emphasis>not</emphasis>
the same as the Unix superuser (which will be referred to as <firstterm>root</firstterm>).
The superuser should have a non-zero user identifier (<firstterm>UID</firstterm>)
for security reasons.
</para>
<para>
The
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> <firstterm>superuser</firstterm>
is the user named <replaceable>postgres</replaceable>
who owns the <Productname>Postgres</Productname>
binaries and database files. As the database superuser, all
protection mechanisms may be bypassed and any data accessed
arbitrarily.
In addition, the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser is allowed to execute
some support programs which are generally not available to all users.
Note that the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser is
<emphasis>not</emphasis>
the same as the Unix superuser (which will be referred to as <firstterm>root</firstterm>).
The superuser should have a non-zero user identifier (<firstterm>UID</firstterm>)
for security reasons.
</para>
<para>
The
<firstterm>database administrator</firstterm>
or <acronym>DBA</acronym>, is the person who is responsible for installing
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> with mechanisms to
enforce a security policy for a site. The DBA can add new users by
the method described below
and maintain a set of template databases for use by
<application>createdb</application>.
</para>
<para>
The
<firstterm>database administrator</firstterm>
or <acronym>DBA</acronym>, is the person who is responsible for installing
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> with mechanisms to
enforce a security policy for a site. The DBA can add new users by
the method described below
and maintain a set of template databases for use by
<application>createdb</application>.
</para>
<para>
The <application>postmaster</application>
is the process that acts as a clearing-house for requests
to the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> system.
Frontend applications connect to the <application>postmaster</application>,
which keeps tracks of any system errors and communication between the
backend processes. The <application>postmaster</application>
can take several command-line arguments to tune its behavior.
However, supplying arguments is necessary only if you intend to run multiple
sites or a non-default site.
</para>
<para>
The <application>postmaster</application>
is the process that acts as a clearing-house for requests
to the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> system.
Frontend applications connect to the <application>postmaster</application>,
which keeps tracks of any system errors and communication between the
backend processes. The <application>postmaster</application>
can take several command-line arguments to tune its behavior.
However, supplying arguments is necessary only if you intend to run multiple
sites or a non-default site.
</para>
<para>
The <Productname>Postgres</Productname> backend
(the actual executable program <application>postgres</application>) may be executed
directly from the user shell by the
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> super-user
(with the database name as an argument). However,
doing this bypasses the shared buffer pool and lock table associated
with a postmaster/site, therefore this is not recommended in a multiuser
site.
</para>
<para>
The <Productname>Postgres</Productname> backend
(the actual executable program <application>postgres</application>) may be executed
directly from the user shell by the
<Productname>Postgres</Productname> super-user
(with the database name as an argument). However,
doing this bypasses the shared buffer pool and lock table associated
with a postmaster/site, therefore this is not recommended in a multiuser
site.
</para>
</sect1>
<sect1>
<title>Notation</title>
<title>Notation</title>
<para>
<quote>...</quote> or <filename>/usr/local/pgsql/</filename>
at the front of a file name is used to represent the
path to the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser's home directory.
</para>
<para>
<quote>...</quote> or <filename>/usr/local/pgsql/</filename>
at the front of a file name is used to represent the
path to the <Productname>Postgres</Productname> superuser's home directory.
</para>
<para>
In a command synopsis, brackets
(<quote>[</quote> and <quote>]</quote>) indicate an optional phrase or keyword.
Anything in braces
(<quote>{</quote> and <quote>}</quote>) and containing vertical bars (<quote>|</quote>)
indicates that you must choose one.
</para>
<para>
In a command synopsis, brackets
(<quote>[</quote> and <quote>]</quote>) indicate an optional phrase or keyword.
Anything in braces
(<quote>{</quote> and <quote>}</quote>) and containing vertical bars (<quote>|</quote>)
indicates that you must choose one.
</para>
<para>
In examples, parentheses (<quote>(</quote> and <quote>)</quote>) are used to group boolean
expressions. <quote>|</quote> is the boolean operator OR.
</para>
<para>
In examples, parentheses (<quote>(</quote> and <quote>)</quote>) are used to group boolean
expressions. <quote>|</quote> is the boolean operator OR.
</para>
<para>
Examples will show commands executed from various accounts and programs.
Commands executed from the root account will be preceeded with <quote>&gt;</quote>.
Commands executed from the <Productname>Postgres</Productname>
superuser account will be preceeded with <quote>%</quote>, while commands
executed from an unprivileged user's account will be preceeded with
<quote>$</quote>.
<acronym>SQL</acronym> commands will be preceeded with <quote>=&gt;</quote>
or will have no leading prompt, depending on the context.
</para>
<para>
Examples will show commands executed from various accounts and programs.
Commands executed from the root account will be preceeded with <quote>&gt;</quote>.
Commands executed from the <Productname>Postgres</Productname>
superuser account will be preceeded with <quote>%</quote>, while commands
executed from an unprivileged user's account will be preceeded with
<quote>$</quote>.
<acronym>SQL</acronym> commands will be preceeded with <quote>=&gt;</quote>
or will have no leading prompt, depending on the context.
</para>
<note>
<para>
At the time of writing (<Productname>Postgres</Productname> v6.4) the notation for
flagging commands is not universally consistant throughout the documentation set.
Please report problems to
<ulink url="mailto:docs@postgresql.org">the Documentation Mailing List</ulink>.
</para>
</note>
<note>
<para>
At the time of writing (<Productname>Postgres</Productname> v6.5) the notation for
flagging commands is not universally consistant throughout the documentation set.
Please report problems to
<ulink url="mailto:docs@postgresql.org">the Documentation Mailing List</ulink>.
</para>
</note>
</sect1>
<!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file
Local variables:
mode: sgml
sgml-omittag:nil
sgml-shorttag:t
sgml-minimize-attributes:nil
sgml-always-quote-attributes:t
sgml-indent-step:1
sgml-indent-data:t
sgml-parent-document:nil
sgml-default-dtd-file:"./reference.ced"
sgml-exposed-tags:nil
sgml-local-catalogs:"/usr/lib/sgml/catalog"
sgml-local-ecat-files:nil
End:
-->