Re: Re: [BUGS] BUG #5650: Postgres service showing as stopped when in fact it is running

Andrew Dunstan <andrew@dunslane.net> writes:
> On 09/24/2010 10:15 AM, Magnus Hagander wrote:
>> In that case, we should probably teach pg_ctl about this case, no?
>> Since it clearly gives an incorrect message to the user now...

> pg_ctl decides that the server is running iff it can connect to it. Do 
> you intend to provide for a different test?

Seems like getting a password challenge from the server is sufficient
evidence that the server is running, whether we are able to meet the
challenge or not.  Perhaps we could just twiddle pg_ctl's "is it up"
test a bit to notice whether the connect failure was of this sort.

(Of course, a "pg_ping" utility would be a better answer, but nobody's
gotten around to that in more than ten years, so I'm not holding my
breath.)
        regards, tom lane