Re: Installation Postgresql

Bill Moran wrote:
> Stephen Salbod wrote:
>
>> My background is Windows and I just switched, yesterday to, Suse Linux
>> Professional 9.0. And I have a class project due Monday, which is on
>> why select postgresql as your DBMS. I am trying to install postgresql

Let this be a lesson - never change your environment if it is "crunch
time", unless you have no other choice. I don't know your situation, but
it sounds like you picked the worst time to begin learning Linux...

>> and going nuts. I installed the postgresql package on to my machine. I
>> am following the short version installation instructions, but I got
>> stuck at the first step: ./configure . I've looked for it on my system
>> but to no avail. I just want to get postgresql up and running. Every
>> book I turn to has this configure file. I know it is my window
>> background that is messing me up--I can't think Linux right now. I
>> would appreciate if someone can give me hand so I can have a good
>> experience installing postgresql .
>
>
> The configure script is part of the Posgresql distribution.
>
> When you unpack the archive, and cd to the directory created, configure is

Did you unpack the archive? You didn't say what form the package was in,
so I would like to add:

1. Download package (I assume you downloaded a *.tar.gz here???).
2. Unpack the archive (tar -zxf name_of_package.tar.gz).
3. List the directory (ls -a) for reference.
4. Change to the unpacked archive directory (cd name_of_package).
5. "./configure" should be in there.

Note - typically you perform the "./configure, make, make install" dance
as root (most of the time you can do the "./configure" portion as a
user). Something else to keep in mind, in most good packages, you can do
a "./configure --help" to get a list of options for the configure
portion, where you can change where binaries and other items get installed.

Realize that what you are doing, while it is an installation of
software, is not the same as what you are probably used to in the
Windows world - this isn't InstallShield (if you want something closer
to that, a package manager is what you are after, with the appropriate
packages - in SuSE, this is yast/yast2). What you are actually doing
when you do all of this is compiling the application, then the last part
("make install") actually moves all of the binaries and such to their
appropriate places (according to what was done in "./configure" to the
make files).

Also know that, in most cases, you can get rid of the archived package
and the unarchived package directory once you have a successful install
(unless you forsee the need to modify the source or something and
recompile). Some people keep it, some delete it - depends on if there is
really an issue with space on your machine. You might set up a "compiled
packages" directory in some data area on your machine, and keep all of
the archives (or uncompressed archives, your call) in there.

> in that directory. Thus there are two factors that are required in order
> for configure to run:
> 1) The directory must be your current working directory
> 2) You must use "./configure" to explicitly tell your shell to look in
> the current directory for the file.

Small tutorial:

"." references the current directory (same as under DOS), whereas ".."
references the "prior" directory (that is, the directory "above" where
you currently are). So, by issuing a "./configure", you are saying "look
in the current directory ("."), and run the "configure" script".

Now, you might ask "I am already in the directory where the configure
script is, why do I need to do this?", and there is a very good reason.
This has to do with how your paths are set up. If you issue the command
"env" in the console, you will see listed (for you user) several
environment variables - one of which is "PATH=blah", where "blah" is all
the paths to search (separated by colons). Most likely (unless you set
it up, or SuSE install did), the current path "." is not among those in
the PATH variable. You can add it, but it isn't always advisable. What
the system does when you issue a command is look in each directory in
the PATH variable in turn for the executable to run - when it finds it,
it runs it (whereever it is) - so, if you had the same executable in two
different directories, both of which are listed in your PATH, the first
one encountered is the one executed. If you had "." listed in your PATH,
depending on where it is listed (typically, you should list it *last*),
"command execution confusion" could result (ie, you would type
"configure" and some other configure script in a different directory on
the PATH would be run).

> I'm guessing #1 is where you're having trouble. Just do
> "cd <directory created by unpacking the download>" prior to "./configure"
>
> If you're using these instructions:
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/7.4/interactive/installation.html
> Then that's probably what you're missing.

You have a *lot* to learn about Linux. If you want some of the best
information on Linux (and other open source projects), go to
http://www.oreilly.com/ and order a few books - you won't be sorry.

Good luck - and welcome to PostgreSQL and Linux!

Andrew Ayers
Phoenix, Arizona

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