database backup: pgAdmin vs. command line

[Jouni85]

I backed up my database (3 gigs) with pgadmin doing exacly what is told here http://www.pokertracker.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=4098. But the back up file was 150 megs!! I can't image 3 gigs turn into 150megs even with good compression.
Now at the moment I'm running backup through command line and so far the backup file is 1.5 gigs. So what is this, can I format my computer and restore my database with the 150 meg file or do I need this bigger file done through the command line?

[Jouni85]

I think I figured it out. Correct me if Im wrong but the 150meg file is actually all the hand histories which are meant to be imported again in the new database. The bigger file that I just finished was 2.5gigs and made through command line. That must be the compressed database itself.

[kraada]

If you used the PGAdmin instructions in the linked post they should do exactly the same thing as the command line options. Is it possible you right clicked on the wrong database in PGAdmin? The commands should be literally identical as PGAdmin just calls pg_dump.

Personally I'd trust the command line backup, but I like the command line in general, so I'm probably a bit biased . . .

[Jouni85]

huh thanks, I almost formated my computer with only the smaller file saved. Hmm, weird that pgadmin didn't work as expected... I'm pretty sure I chose the right database. But the command line worked fine, so I'll have to live with that.