SOLVED: Can't start Postgresql (S6)
So, i got everything working to my satisfaction on my backup laptop and finally installed Artix on my main laptop. If i hadn't "winged it" in specifying my home directory (separate partition) options arguments in /etc/fstab and inadvertently (implicitly) specified 'noexec', i think it might have gone flawlessly. The first sign something was wrong was when most of my gem updates failed. I figured out what was wrong and then the updates all completed without error. But i couldn't start Postgresql. I completely uninstalled and reinstalled but, no diff. I finally figured out that if "/var/lib/postgres/data" exists (but is empty, as happened with me) the installation will never succeed.
This comes from '/etc/s6/sv/postgresql-srv/run'. I wish i had just deleted the 'data' dir instead of manually running:
initdb -D /var/lib/postgres/data/
But once that directory was properly populated, everything worked fine.
My assumption is that, after creating the 'data' dir, the 'initdb' failed. If that happens, for whatever reason, no amount of mindless trying things is going to fix the problem, until you either remove the 'data' directory or run 'initdb' manually. A good solution for this might be just to check that the directory is there, *and* it's not empty.
I had been initially a bit discouraged not being able to build a working do_postgres gem (as the first serious obstacle hit installing for the first time) but, once i hit the forums, i got the help i needed and now i'm a happy camper. Thank you all so very much for the help... and the fine distribution. After Pop!OS i'm *really* liking it.