8.4 Beta 2 now available

The PostgreSQL Project has released the second beta of version 8.4 for
community testing. This beta release fixes a number of issues with the
first 8.4 beta, especially issues with pg_standby, PL/pgSQL and encoding
and collation handling. We need all users to test 8.4 Beta 2 as soon as
possible in order to speed the final release of the new version.

In order to improve the usability of pg_standby, we have added "fast"
and "smart" mode switches to the utility. This is an API change. The
"smart" mode ensures that all logs are applied for zero data loss, while
the "fast" mode is similar to prior behavior. The behavior of the
trigger file has also changed. Developers of PostgreSQL administration
tools should modify them to support the new API.

Additionally, the following features and utilities were fixed or
modified between Beta 1 and Beta 2. Please take time to test the
functionality below to make certain the fixes behave as expected.

-- SQL/XML
-- PL/pgSQL
-- pg_bench
-- JOIN costing
-- Encoding and collation handling
-- SSL connections
-- psql \df
-- Unicode escapes
-- Parallel restore
-- pg_dumpall

For more information, see: http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/84Beta2Changes

Beta Information Page:
http://www.postgresql.org/developer/beta

Release Notes:
http://developer.postgresql.org/pgdocs/postgres/release-8-4.html

Source Code:
http://www.postgresql.org/ftp/source/v8.4beta2/

The usual duration of the beta testing period for a new version of
PostgreSQL is 6 weeks. However, that time can vary significantly
depending on what bugs our testing discovers. The PostgreSQL project
does not release until all significant known bugs are fixed. Your help
finding and fixing bugs will speed up the final release.