Fwd: [CentOS] Centos 7 LAPP setup Postgresql version and setup

Morning all,

I posted this to the Centos list yesterday asking for opinions. As a group
with better knowledge of the situation, I thought I may get better responses
from this group.

Gary
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Hi all,

I've got a nice shiny new server which I'm going to build as a LAPP platform.

I've just had a quick look for suitable instructions on the best way to
configure it and I have a few questions. There are many hits, some better
than others.

(It is replacing a Fedora 9 server so I'm expecting to have lots of *fun*)

1) 9.2 vs 9.5

Some of the instruction pages I've found install using the standard
repositories and install version 9.2 (?) while some others add a postgresql
repo and install 9.5

What are people's opinions? In the long term, and I going to have more admin
hassle with one over the other?

Will porting schemas including stored functions in pl/psql from 8.3 be
easier / better with one version over the other?

2) network vs sockets

I read somewhere that connecting Apache / PHP to Postgresql is faster if you
use sockets rather than usling the loopback i/f. Is this correct? If it is
correct, what is the correct connect string if I use the 9.2 or 9.5 RPM's as
described above?

There seems to be lots of Google content about sockets not working. Is it
really that hard?

(I use pg_pconnect() to do the connecting)