Re: Time to scale up?

[Josh Berkus <josh(at)agliodbs(dot)com>]

Paul,

> I have been amazed by the power of the simple optimization rule "remove 
> barriers to entry", and how it has worked.  The Windows port of PgSQL 
> and associated installer (itself a "distribution" in the kernel-metaphor 
> sense, only carried on the main PostgreSQL site) has had a huge affect 
> on PostGIS usage, so I assume the same holds true for PgSQL in general.
>
> But such an approach (one size fits all, click the big green button for 
> download) is basically the diametric opposite of what you suggest.

Well, for example we *can't* do a one-size-fits all including PostGIS 
unless you get it re-licensed.

However, I've been talking about build systems here at the conference 
again.  While it's a technical barrier there may be open source software 
we can borrow.  The best of all possible worlds would be to have:

pg_install
> install base
.... done
> install gis
Package GIS is GPL licensed.  Package GIS requires x, y, z.  Proceed?

if that's not possible, then having more clear packages would be the 
next best thing.  Given a shortage of labor, though, I think that it 
might be better to just provide documentation to the OS build engineers 
and vendors about add-ins they might be interested in and how to find 
and build them.

--Josh