pg-8.4: is it possible to recover not dumped data?

[Ennio-Sr]

[Using pg-8.4 under Gnu/Linux-Squeeze]

Hi all!
I have stupidly deleted postgresql-common, postgresql-client and
postgresql-client-common (they where shown as version 9.1 while I was
running pg 8-4 driving me to this error).
After realizing (on reboot) I could not connect to my db I installed the
8.4 version of the 3 deleted pckgs and, after su-ing to postgres,
re-created the 'user'.

Now I can see the data directory (/var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main) is still
populated (I presume with all my data) but I am unable to access them.
Although I have a copy on my laptop (lacking only minor updatings) I
would like to know if there is any possibility to recover my data on PC.

if yes, would you please suggest a solution or some chapter to read?

Thanks for your attention. Regards,
Ennio
--
[Perche' usare Win$ozz (dico io) se ..."anche uno sciocco sa farlo. \\?//
Fa' qualche cosa di cui non sei capace!" (diceva Henry Miller) ] (°|°)
[Why use Win$ozz (I say) if ... "even a fool can do that. )=(
Do something you aren't good at!" (as Henry Miller used to say) ]

[Jeff Davis]

Post by Ennio-Sr
[Using pg-8.4 under Gnu/Linux-Squeeze]
Hi all!
I have stupidly deleted postgresql-common, postgresql-client and
postgresql-client-common (they where shown as version 9.1 while I was
running pg 8-4 driving me to this error).
After realizing (on reboot) I could not connect to my db I installed the
8.4 version of the 3 deleted pckgs and, after su-ing to postgres,
re-created the 'user'.
Now I can see the data directory (/var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main) is still
populated (I presume with all my data) but I am unable to access them.
Although I have a copy on my laptop (lacking only minor updatings) I
would like to know if there is any possibility to recover my data on PC.
if yes, would you please suggest a solution or some chapter to read?

What error message are you getting? Are you able to start the server?

What is in /var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main/PG_VERSION? Do you still have
that version of postgres installed?

Who is the owner of /var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main and its contents? Does
that unix user still exist?

Regards,
Jeff Davis

[Ennio-Sr]

Post by Jeff Davis

Post by Ennio-Sr
[Using pg-8.4 under Gnu/Linux-Squeeze]
Hi all!
I have stupidly deleted postgresql-common, postgresql-client and
postgresql-client-common (they where shown as version 9.1 while I was
running pg 8-4 driving me to this error).
After realizing (on reboot) I could not connect to my db I installed the
8.4 version of the 3 deleted pckgs and, after su-ing to postgres,
re-created the 'user'.
Now I can see the data directory (/var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main) is still
populated (I presume with all my data) but I am unable to access them.
Although I have a copy on my laptop (lacking only minor updatings) I
would like to know if there is any possibility to recover my data on PC.
if yes, would you please suggest a solution or some chapter to read?

What error message are you getting? Are you able to start the server?

Thank you, Jeff, for your answer.
Here follow the info required:

Yes, the server is started and running:

root-# ps | grep postgres
postgres 4424 0.0 0.3 47908 1584 ? S 06:46 0:01 /usr/lib/postgresql/8.4/bin/postgres -D /var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main -c config_file=/etc/postgresql/8.4/main/postgresql.conf -c external_pid_file=/var/run/postgresql/8.4-main.pid
postgres 4426 0.0 0.2 48020 1060 ? Ss 06:46 0:03 \_ postgres: writer process
postgres 4427 0.0 0.1 47908 520 ? Ss 06:46 0:02 \_ postgres: wal writer process
postgres 4428 0.0 0.1 48044 716 ? Ss 06:46 0:00 \_ postgres: autovacuum launcher process
postgres 4429 0.0 0.0 16220 484 ? Ss 06:46 0:00 \_ postgres: stats collector process
root 31781 0.0 0.1 3988 760 tty1 S+ 16:22 0:00 \_ grep postgres

As I told in previous message, I re-created user 'ennio' from
(superuser) 'postgres' and gave the command:
postgres-# createdb -O ennio mydb

Then, I logged in as ennio:

ennio-$ psql mydb
Target width for "wrapped" format is 100.
Output format is wrapped.
psql (8.4.13)
Type "help" for help.

mydb=> \d
No relations found.

mydb=> \l
List of databases
Name | Owner | Encoding | Collation | Ctype | Access privileges
-----------+----------+----------+-----------+-------+-----------------------
mydb | ennio | LATIN1 | en_US | en_US |
postgres | postgres | LATIN1 | en_US | en_US |
template0 | postgres | LATIN1 | en_US | en_US | =c/postgres
: postgres=CTc/postgres
template1 | postgres | LATIN1 | en_US | en_US | =c/postgres
: postgres=CTc/postgres
(4 rows)

Post by Jeff Davis
What is in /var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main/PG_VERSION? Do you still have
that version of postgres installed?

The result is '8.4'

Post by Jeff Davis
Who is the owner of /var/lib/postgresql/8.4/main and its contents? Does
that unix user still exist?

The owner is postgres.postgres with 'drwx' permissions for subdirs and
'rw' for files.

Regards,
Ennio
--
[Perche' usare Win$ozz (dico io) se ..."anche uno sciocco sa farlo. \\?//
Fa' qualche cosa di cui non sei capace!" (diceva Henry Miller) ] (°|°)
[Why use Win$ozz (I say) if ... "even a fool can do that. )=(
Do something you aren't good at!" (as Henry Miller used to say) ]