Upgrading from v7.1.3 to v7.4

Hi,

I recently got a dedicated server at Rackspace.com that came with PostgreSQL
server version 7.1.3 installed. I am installing a script that requires
PostgreSQL v 7.2 or greater so I decided to upgrade to the latest version
(7.4). Unfortunately, Rackspace does not support PostgreSQL databases and I
could not find anyone to do this upgrade for me.

I am kind of new but feel confident I can upgrade/install to the new version
if someone can help me with a few questions:

Current configuration:

- My server is running Redhat Linux 2.1AS

- I have not created any databases yet.

- By default, there is a template0 and template1 databases which I guess are
required by PostgreSQL.

- There is a postgres user already created.

- PostgreSQL files are currently installed in the following folders:

/var/lib/pgsql/
/usr/share/pgsql/
/usr/local/webmin-1.090/postgresql/
/usr/bin/ (for postgres and postgresql-dump files)
/usr/include/pgsql/
/usr/lib/pgsql/
/etc/webmin/postgresql/

Questions:

I was reading the installation manual at postgresql.org, section 14.4 (If
you are upgrading) and saw I had to backup my databases located in
/usr/local/pgsql/data/ and also suggested to move the old installation out
of the way that is supposed to be in /usr/local/pgsql/

Obviously, if I install the version 7.4, it will be installed in this folder
so I have nothing to move.

1) Do I have to uninstall the current version 7.1.3 to install this new
version 7.4? If yes, how do I uninstall the current version?

2) If I only need to stop the current PostgreSQL server and install and run
the new one, will there be any conflict issues later on? If yes, what can I
do to prevent this?

3) Is there anyone experienced enough that could help me with all this in
case I need it?

I would appreciate any help on this.

Regards,

Sergio L. Garza M.