Re: [PATCHES] Win32 Event log

["Dave Page" <dpage(at)vale-housing(dot)co(dot)uk>]

Thanks Bruce - I think it's for the best ;-) 

/D

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bruce Momjian [mailto:pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us] 
> Sent: 18 August 2004 16:58
> To: Dave Page
> Cc: Andrew Dunstan; pgsql-hackers-win32
> Subject: Re: [pgsql-hackers-win32] [PATCHES] Win32 Event log
> 
> 
> OK, I have updated the release announcement to exclude mention of NT4:
> 	
> 	Win32 Native Server
> 	
> 	This is the first PostgreSQL release to natively run on 
> Microsoft
> 	Windows as a server. It can run as a Windows service. 
> This release
> 	supports NT-based Windows releases like Win2000, XP, 
> Win2003. Older
> 	releases like Windows 95, 98, and ME are not supported 
> because these
> 	operating systems do not have the infrastructure to 
> support PostgreSQL.
> 	A separate installer project has been created to ease 
> installation on
> 	Windows: http://pgfoundry.org/projects/pginstaller.
> 
> We use the word "like" and list supported OS's, so it isn't 
> implied to be an exclusive list.
> 
> When we get to the official supported ports list, we can see if we get
> NT4 tested and document any problems there.
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------
> 
> Dave Page wrote:
> > Everything is still as I stated below AFAIK.
> > 
> > /D
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Bruce Momjian [mailto:pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us]
> > > Sent: 18 August 2004 04:27
> > > To: Dave Page
> > > Cc: Andrew Dunstan; pgsql-hackers-win32
> > > Subject: Re: [pgsql-hackers-win32] [PATCHES] Win32 Event log
> > > 
> > > 
> > > OK, where are we now on the NT4 support issue?  Do we 
> need to modify 
> > > the 8.0 release announcement?
> > > 
> > > --------------------------------------------------------------
> > > -------------
> > > 
> > > Dave Page wrote:
> > > >  
> > > > 
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: Bruce Momjian [mailto:pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us]
> > > > > Sent: 13 August 2004 03:59
> > > > > To: Dave Page
> > > > > Cc: Andrew Dunstan; pgsql-hackers-win32
> > > > > Subject: Re: [pgsql-hackers-win32] [PATCHES] Win32 Event log
> > > > > 
> > > > > 
> (http://www.serverwatch.com/tutorials/article.php/10825_2239651_
> > > > > 3
> > > > > for
> > > > > > further analyis). Therefore, attempts to create
> > > tablespaces will
> > > > > > probably cause a crash.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Can't we fix such a _hypothetical_ crash when someone finally 
> > > > > reports it?
> > > > > In fact I bet we aren't going to be able to prevent 
> folks from 
> > > > > running on NT4 anyway so we will have to fix it.
> > > > 
> > > > On further examination of Andreas' patch, it doesn't use an
> > > APIs that
> > > > aren't in NT4 as far as I can see, instead it uses existing
> > > functions
> > > > (such as DeviceIoControl), but with control codes like 
> > > > FSCTL_SET_REPARSE_POINT which are *not* in NT. As far as I can 
> > > > tell without spending time I don't have on it, symlink creation
> > > will fail
> > > > gracefully and as long as the create tablespace code can
> > > handle that,
> > > > it should be pretty clean.
> > > > 
> > > > > If the installer can't run on NT4 SP4, that is an
> > > installer issue.  
> > > > > I don't see why we should label the base source code as
> > > not working
> > > > > on it.
> > > > 
> > > > Because the vast majority of Windows users *will not* 
> compile from 
> > > > source, they will use the installer. If press releases go
> > > out saying
> > > > it supports NT4 and we do get a ton of downloads from 
> NT users, we 
> > > > will end up with a correspopnding flood of emails and bug
> > > reports. End
> > > > users will not see the difference between the source, and the 
> > > > precompiled binary, even if we do see them as separate projects.
> > > > 
> > > > > If it doesn't have symlinks, fine, no tablespaces.   I 
> > > will update the
> > > > > release notes to mention the installer doesn't run on NT4.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Basically, we can't turn the PostgreSQL ship on a dime. 
> > > If we come
> > > > > out and say NT4 doesn't work, the someone else appears
> > > and gets it
> > > > > working, it is harder to communicate that.  I don't 
> want to be 
> > > > > adding/removing
> > > > > NT4 based on untested ideas.
> > > > 
> > > > The installer issue is not untested - I got a bug report
> > > about it this
> > > > morning. The table spaces issue is, but as no-one here
> > > seems to have
> > > > NT4 we can't test it. We also cannot reasonably support 
> a platform 
> > > > that none of us have access to.
> > > > 
> > > > By all means note that the base code will compile and 
> run without 
> > > > tablespaces on NT4, but please do not announce that it's an
> > > official
> > > > supported platform.
> > > > 
> > > > Regards, Dave.
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > -- 
> > >   Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
> > >   pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us               |  (610) 359-1001
> > >   +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
> > >   +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square, 
> > > Pennsylvania 19073
> > > 
> > 
> 
> -- 
>   Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us
>   pgman(at)candle(dot)pha(dot)pa(dot)us               |  (610) 359-1001
>   +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road
>   +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square, 
> Pennsylvania 19073
>