Re: PostgreSQL binaries under /usr/lib, why?

On 22/02/2013 09:41, Rafael Martinez wrote:
> Hello
>
> Why are many postgres binaries in ubuntu under
> /usr/lib/postgresql?
>
> According to FHS-2.3, /usr/lib includes object files, libraries,
> and internal binaries that are not intended to be executed directly
> by users or shell scripts.
>
> Almost all postgres binaries used directly by users are under
> /usr/lib/postgresql

I think that's because the Debian/Ubuntu packages use pg_wrapper - for
example, on my Debian machine, /usr/bin/psql is actually a symlink to
/usr/share/postgresql-common/pg_wrapper, which then calls
/usr/lib/postgresql/9.1/bin/psql.

This mechanism allows you to have multiple versions of PG, as well as
multiple instances of the same version, installed side-by-side, and
you specify the one you want with the --cluster option, which
pg_wrapper understands -

psql --cluster 9.1/main [....]

- and in my (limited) experience it works really well.

> I am just wondering because is not the first time we have to help
> ubuntu users having problems locating the postgres binaries.
> (Including myself the first time I installed postgres in a ubuntu
> machine)
>
> Is the future apt.postgresql.org service also going to use this
> directory for postgres binaries?

It does already - my installation comes from apt.postgresql.org.

HTH,

Ray.

--
Raymond O'Donnell :: Galway :: Ireland
rod(at)iol(dot)ie