Re: Using native win32 psql.exe using alternative cygwin - psql 8.0.0 beta 3 question - Mailing list pgsql-general

>
> Bill Bartlett wrote:
>
> >I hit this exact same problem, and my initial reaction was
> the same as
> >yours -- psql was "hanging".  After much head-banging, I discovered
> >that it is not in fact hanging, but is instead getting confused by
> >being run from inside Putty, Cygwin, xterm, rxvt terminal, etc.
> >Because psql is not being run from a native Win32 console window, it
> >puts itself into non-interactive mode, so it shows no
> prompts, allows
> >no line editing, shows no command history, etc.  But it is actually
> >running.  (And I couldn't find any combination of TERM settings,
> >security settings or any other settings that would get around this.)
> >
> >Unfortunately, at the moment there is no command-line flag to force
> >psql into "interactive" mode.  I have the code (courtesy of Bruce
> >Momjian) to add a flag such as this, but I haven't had time
> to set up
> >the environment to actually recompile psql.
> >
> >Alternatively, you can run Cygwin's version of psql against
> the native
> >Win32 PostgreSQL 8 database, assuming you install the base Cygwin
> >environment.  This does work fine, and gives you the added
> benefit of
> >including "readline" support (something compiled out of the native
> >Win32 version of psql), so tab-completion works even in the Windows
> >environment.  Two caveats, however:
> >
> >1) You can't install _just_ psql from the Cygwin setup --
> you'll have
> >to install the complete PostgreSQL environment (database and
> all), then
> >copy just the psql-related files (psql.exe and pq.dll) to your
> >workstation. (So be sure to NOT install this on your main PostgreSQL
> >server -- no telling what will happen when the Cygwin version of the
> >PostgreSQL server tries to run at the same time as the native Win32
> >version already on there.)
> >
> >2) The latest "release" version of PostgreSQL for Cygwin is v7.4.5.
> >There is v8.x code available in CVS, but you'll have to compile it
> >yourself.  I'm also planning on doing this too, but I
> haven't had the
> >time.
> >
> >- Bill
> >
> >
> >
> as info -- if you use the cygwin setup program, and click the
> Exp(erimental) tab, you'll get 8.0.0-cvs
> downloaded/installed. You can check the box to download the
> source also/instead, if you want
> to build yourself....
>

I hadn't noticed this -- thanks much!  (Apparently it is also possible
to keep clicking through on the "version" column in Cygwin's setup
program and setup will cycle through all the versions that it has
available, one of which is 8.0.0 Beta 3.)

One question: Not knowing the development history of psql, is there any
reason I should build the latest 8.0.x release version of psql vs simply
using this "8.0.0 Beta 3" version already supplied by Cygwin, assuming
that for the immediate future we are still staying with 8.0.4 servers?

Tip to anyone else who wants to use the Cygwin version of psql against a
Win32 native PostgreSQL server: you'll need to include "-h localhost" on
the command line in order to connect to the local server.

- Bill