Re: Survey: renaming/removing script binaries (createdb, createuser...)

Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> Steve Atkins wrote:
>
>> There are no existing clashes with system tools that I'm aware of. Are
>> there any? Most of the clashes are with other installations of
>> postgresql installed on the same machine, so if name clashes is the real
>> reason for the change, then the version number or port number of the
>> installation should be part of the command name - pg_8.3.1_psql, and so
>> on.
>
> Eeek!
>
> If we really want to go down that route, I would suggest that psql needs
> to become a bridge program that calls another program in
> $PREFIX/share/libexec. So 8.3 installs share/libexec/psql-8.3 and 8.2
> installs share/libexec/psql-8.2. So bin/psql gets the server version
> and then execv() the appropriate executable from share/libexec.
>

I would say if we went this way adding the version to the end could work.

I would install pg_psql_8.3.1 as well as ln -s pg_psql_8.3.1 pg_psql

This can allow more than one binary to be installed in the same base dir
and as far as shell command completion goes you can use the last version
installed by default or add a version to the end if desired.

I do think that one main bridge program could be a good way to go.
Leave the current named progs in place for a few versions though. Or
have them as a config option.

--

Shane Ambler
pgSQL (at) Sheeky (dot) Biz

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