Full PostgreSQL installer for Windows

Hello friends,

I would like to inform you that I am working on a full PostgreSQL installer
for Windows.
The goal is to promote the use of PostgreSQL combined with pgAdmin II.

The installer is based on open-source NSIS http://www.nullsoft.com/free/nsis.

1) At first, I would like to automate the
/usr/doc/Cygwin/postgresql-7.1.2.README guidelines:
- test the presence of Cygwin / PostgreSQL executables (if not present show
a downloading link and quit installer),
- installation and startup of ipc-daemon.
- installation and startup of Cygwinsrv.exe under Windows NT/2000,
- test existence of postmaster account,
- start postmaster (possibly as a service under Windows NT/2000),
- initdb if needed.

2) In a near future, I would like to perform a minimal Cygwin installation.
- I have no idea what minimum software is needed. Any information welcome.
- Does the Cygwin licence permit it?

An alpha installation executable will be available in a few days.

I will probably need support for testing under Windows 95/98/2000 as I run
NT 4 (and Linux of course).
Any input (tricks, feature requests, NSIS feedback) from the community are
welcome.

Regards,
Jean-Michel POURE
pgAdmin Development Team
http://pgadmin.postgresql.org

> Hello friends,
>
> I would like to inform you that I am working on a full
> PostgreSQL installer for Windows. The goal is to promote
> the use of PostgreSQL combined with pgAdmin II.

woo-hoo!

> 1) At first, I would like to automate the
> /usr/doc/Cygwin/postgresql-7.1.2.README guidelines:
> - test the presence of Cygwin / PostgreSQL executables
> (if not present show a downloading link and quit
> installer),
> - installation and startup of ipc-daemon.
> - installation and startup of Cygwinsrv.exe under Windows
> NT/2000,
> - test existence of postmaster account,
> - start postmaster (possibly as a service under Windows
> NT/2000),
> - initdb if needed.

will you also detect versions and ask if the user wants to
upgrade? if yes, will you launch the cygwin installer if it
is available?

will you be querying for parameters to launch the postmaster
while providing some intelligent defaults?

when launching the postmaster, will you be launching it in
a bash shell or standalone?

personally, i think this should be step 2, not step 1. what
you have as step two should be step one. my opinion only.

> 2) In a near future, I would like to perform a minimal
> Cygwin installation.
> - I have no idea what minimum software is needed. Any
> information welcome.
> - Does the Cygwin licence permit it?

i can't answer your questions but i would really like this.
not know what the dependencies are i just installed the
whole shebang.

> An alpha installation executable will be available in a
> few days.

that would be great!

> I will probably need support for testing under Windows
> 95/98/2000 as I run NT 4

i have win2k and would be willing to test on it. postgres
is a "play" project for me at this time so i might be a
bit sporadic, but i am will to play with it.

rjsjr

> 2) In a near future, I would like to perform a minimal Cygwin
installation.
> - I have no idea what minimum software is needed. Any information welcome.
> - Does the Cygwin licence permit it?

i've got it working in the following configuration:

/bin/
basename.exe
bash.exe
cat.exe
chmod.exe
chown.exe
cp.exe
cygncurses5.dll
cygreadline4.dll
cygrunsrv.exe
cygwin1.dll
cygz.dll
expr.exe
grep.exe
head.exe
kill.exe
less.exe
ln.exe
login.exe
ls.exe
mkdir.exe
ps.exe
rm.exe
sed.exe
sh.exe
sleep.exe
stty.exe
test.exe

# postgresql stuff:
createdb createlang createuser
dropdb droplang dropuser
initdb ipc-daemon.exe ipcclean
pg_config pg_ctl pg_dump.exe
pg_dumpall pg_encoding.exe pg_id.exe
pg_passwd.exe pg_restore.exe plpgsql.dll
postgres.exe postmaster@ pq.dll
psql.exe vacuumdb

/usr/share/postgresql/
global.bki global.description pg_hba.conf.sample
pg_ident.conf.sample postgresql.conf.sample template1.bki
template1.description

/data/
.exists

/tmp/
.exists

/.profile

/Dmitry (that's my signature, not a file ;)

Wonderful idea ;).

What about automating the deletion of .lock and .pid files before starting
the postmaster (in the event of let's say power failures, etc... which
leaves these files behind) ?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean-Michel POURE" <jm(dot)poure(at)freesurf(dot)fr>
To: <pgsql-cygwin(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Cc: <pgadmin-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org>; <jason(at)tishler(dot)net>;
<dpage(at)vale-housing(dot)co(dot)uk>
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2001 10:28 PM
Subject: [CYGWIN] Full PostgreSQL installer for Windows

> Hello friends,
>
> I would like to inform you that I am working on a full PostgreSQL
installer
> for Windows.
> The goal is to promote the use of PostgreSQL combined with pgAdmin II.
>
> The installer is based on open-source NSIS
http://www.nullsoft.com/free/nsis.
>
> 1) At first, I would like to automate the
> /usr/doc/Cygwin/postgresql-7.1.2.README guidelines:
> - test the presence of Cygwin / PostgreSQL executables (if not present
show
> a downloading link and quit installer),
> - installation and startup of ipc-daemon.
> - installation and startup of Cygwinsrv.exe under Windows NT/2000,
> - test existence of postmaster account,
> - start postmaster (possibly as a service under Windows NT/2000),
> - initdb if needed.
>
> 2) In a near future, I would like to perform a minimal Cygwin
installation.
> - I have no idea what minimum software is needed. Any information welcome.
> - Does the Cygwin licence permit it?
>
> An alpha installation executable will be available in a few days.
>
> I will probably need support for testing under Windows 95/98/2000 as I run
> NT 4 (and Linux of course).
> Any input (tricks, feature requests, NSIS feedback) from the community are
> welcome.
>
> Regards,
> Jean-Michel POURE
> pgAdmin Development Team
> http://pgadmin.postgresql.org
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 6: Have you searched our list archives?
>
> http://www.postgresql.org/search.mpl
>

Jean-Michel,

On Sun, Sep 02, 2001 at 04:28:50PM +0200, Jean-Michel POURE wrote:
> I would like to inform you that I am working on a full PostgreSQL installer
> for Windows.
> The goal is to promote the use of PostgreSQL combined with pgAdmin II.
>
> The installer is based on open-source NSIS http://www.nullsoft.com/free/nsis.
>
> 1) At first, I would like to automate the
> /usr/doc/Cygwin/postgresql-7.1.2.README guidelines:

Please use the heavily updated postgresql-7.1.3.README instead. Also,
remember to include the following missing step from the NT services
section:

2.5. Update the /etc/passwd file to include the "postgres" user account:

# mkpasswd -l | fgrep postgres >>/etc/passwd

The above will be included in the next version of the README.

> - test the presence of Cygwin / PostgreSQL executables (if not present show
> a downloading link and quit installer),
> - installation and startup of ipc-daemon.
> - installation and startup of Cygwinsrv.exe under Windows NT/2000,
> - test existence of postmaster account,
> - start postmaster (possibly as a service under Windows NT/2000),
> - initdb if needed.

The initdb step may be difficult to automate until Cygwin supports
the "su" command. Note that this is gated by the new Cygwin server
development that may be starting in earnest at the time of this writing.
See the Cygwin developers mailing list thread that begins with:

http://www.cygwin.com/ml/cygwin-developers/2001-09/msg00018.html

> 2) In a near future, I would like to perform a minimal Cygwin installation.
> - I have no idea what minimum software is needed. Any information welcome.

I believe that you already received a response regarding this issue.
Also, try searching the pgsql archives since (IIRC) this question has
been asked and answered before.

> - Does the Cygwin licence permit it?

Yes, you are just required to provide the source for any GPL licensed
code (e.g., cygwin1.dll).

Note that I can also provide you with the script that can generate a
setup.ini for your minimal install.

Jason