Thread: PostgreSQL installation CD based on Morphix

Dear friends,

In the past, there were several discussions in order to find suitable answers
for MS Windows users willing to install and run PostgreSQL.

Some of you suggested that users should "install GNU/Linux over Windows". Not
so easy for the basic MySQL or Ms Windows user, who need technical
assistance ... and fear to destroy their machine.

Therefore, I would like to draw some attention on the Morphix CD project from
http://sourceforge.net/projects/morphix.

Morphix is an auto-bootable Debian GNU/Linux distribution based on Knoppix.

What makes Morphix different is that the project has several graphical
installers and wizards in preparation (written in plain C, using GTK-2
libraries and Glade-2) ... which could possibly be used to install GNU/Linux
and PostgreSQL tools over MS Windows.

You can download a preview CD of Morphix from this address:
http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/morphix/MorphixCombined-Gnome-0.4-1.iso?download

Except for the installer itself, the wizards are not yet available in the main
Morphix CD. To have a look at them, you will need to checkout from CVS
(http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/morphix) and open the files in
Glade-2.

I also made some screenshots here:

- morphixinstaller: once Morphix has booted in demo mode, you can use this
wizard to install Morphix on the disk. Screenshots:
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step1.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step2.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step3.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step4.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step5.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step6.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step7.png

- isomorphgui: graphical distribution maker (select the requested packages for
your distribution and burn the ISO). Screenshots:
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/iso_morph_gui_1.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/iso_morph_gui_2.png

- partitionmorpher: resize partitions on the fly (GTK-2 interface to
libparted). Screenshots:
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/partition_morpher_1.png
http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/partition_morpher_2.png

IMHO opinion, there is a need to study the Morphix project in more details.

Morphix could be a possible solution to the MS Windows migration problems. It
probably involves 50 times less work than migrating PostgreSQL to MS Windows
(and is a complete different project except for the fact that it could well
bring as much new users to PostgreSQL than a native Win port and is less
risky).

The possible steps for such a project could be (just a guess):

1) Validate Morphixinstaller, isomorphgui and partitionmorpher wizards. These
wizards are still in early stages of development. They are developed by one
person, who would probably like to receive some help.

2) Create a wizard for PostgreSQL post-installation steps using GTK-2 and
Glade-2: configuration of hosts and authentication, tuning and optimization
of various parameters (Mainly a graphical interface to pg_hba.conf and
postgresql.conf).

3) Gather all known PostgreSQL related Debian packages, including pgAdmin III,
PhpPgAdmin, as well as PHP, Apache and report tools (and much more) and burn
Morphix-PostgreSQL CDs.

There could be a "light PostgreSQL CD" as well as a "complete PostgreSQL CD".

4) Create a single website in 30 languages (http://installer.postgresql.org?)
dedicated to releasing the installation CD.

Based on the pgAdmin experience, there could well be more than 50.000
downloads every month, out of which 70% would be migrating from MS Windows to
GNU/Linux.

Comments and ideas are welcome. I would like to help anyone interested in
becoming the lead of such a project.

Best regards,
Jean-Michel Pouré

Jean-Michel POURE said:
>
> Morphix could be a possible solution to the MS Windows migration
> problems. It  probably involves 50 times less work than migrating
> PostgreSQL to MS Windows  (and is a complete different project except
> for the fact that it could well  bring as much new users to PostgreSQL
> than a native Win port and is less  risky).
>

This is a fantasy, IMNSHO. Windows users will want a native program that
they can run just like other Windows programs, and alongside them.
Requiring the installation of a complete Linux distribution, no matter how
nicely packaged, is hardly likely to win many Windows converts to postgres.

If I were a data center manager, I would not think of allowing such a
hybrid machine into it. I would insist that we either ran postgres as a
native windows service, or run it on a pur *nix machine, or not at all.

It would be a massive and unnecessary distraction, for no benefit, for
postgresql hackers to go down this route.

BTW, the major pieces of the Windows port are falling into place quite
nicely, with little evidence so far of the risks you mention. Of course,
there will be a few teething troubles, but nobody has yet seen a major
blocker. The biggest problems (forking and signal emulation) appear to
have been solved.

cheers

andrew

We (Japan PostgreSQL User Group) have just created "PostgreSQL LiveCD"
based KNOPPIX to promote PostgreSQL to newbies. It includes

 - PostgreSQL 7.4.1
 - PHP 4.3.4
 - Apache 1.3.29
 - Tomcat 4.1.9 (but J2SDK is not included because of license.)
 - phpPgAdmin 3.2.1
 - pgAdmin3 1.0.2
 - phpbb
 - Full text search in these manuals

Screen shot:
http://www.postgresql.jp/~snaga/shot.png

If you boot your machine with this CD-ROM, all of them are running and
you can start web application development without any installation.

We will introduce this CD-ROM on NET&COM 2004(Feb.4-6) at Tokyo.

Jean-Michel POURE <jm@poure.com> wrote:
> Dear friends,
>
> In the past, there were several discussions in order to find suitable answers
> for MS Windows users willing to install and run PostgreSQL.
>
> Some of you suggested that users should "install GNU/Linux over Windows". Not
> so easy for the basic MySQL or Ms Windows user, who need technical
> assistance ... and fear to destroy their machine.
>
> Therefore, I would like to draw some attention on the Morphix CD project from
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/morphix.
>
> Morphix is an auto-bootable Debian GNU/Linux distribution based on Knoppix.
>
> What makes Morphix different is that the project has several graphical
> installers and wizards in preparation (written in plain C, using GTK-2
> libraries and Glade-2) ... which could possibly be used to install GNU/Linux
> and PostgreSQL tools over MS Windows.
>
> You can download a preview CD of Morphix from this address:
> http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/morphix/MorphixCombined-Gnome-0.4-1.iso?download
>
> Except for the installer itself, the wizards are not yet available in the main
> Morphix CD. To have a look at them, you will need to checkout from CVS
> (http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/morphix) and open the files in
> Glade-2.
>
> I also made some screenshots here:
>
> - morphixinstaller: once Morphix has booted in demo mode, you can use this
> wizard to install Morphix on the disk. Screenshots:
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step1.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step2.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step3.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step4.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step5.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step6.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step7.png
>
> - isomorphgui: graphical distribution maker (select the requested packages for
> your distribution and burn the ISO). Screenshots:
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/iso_morph_gui_1.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/iso_morph_gui_2.png
>
> - partitionmorpher: resize partitions on the fly (GTK-2 interface to
> libparted). Screenshots:
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/partition_morpher_1.png
> http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/partition_morpher_2.png
>
> IMHO opinion, there is a need to study the Morphix project in more details.
>
> Morphix could be a possible solution to the MS Windows migration problems. It
> probably involves 50 times less work than migrating PostgreSQL to MS Windows
> (and is a complete different project except for the fact that it could well
> bring as much new users to PostgreSQL than a native Win port and is less
> risky).
>
> The possible steps for such a project could be (just a guess):
>
> 1) Validate Morphixinstaller, isomorphgui and partitionmorpher wizards. These
> wizards are still in early stages of development. They are developed by one
> person, who would probably like to receive some help.
>
> 2) Create a wizard for PostgreSQL post-installation steps using GTK-2 and
> Glade-2: configuration of hosts and authentication, tuning and optimization
> of various parameters (Mainly a graphical interface to pg_hba.conf and
> postgresql.conf).
>
> 3) Gather all known PostgreSQL related Debian packages, including pgAdmin III,
> PhpPgAdmin, as well as PHP, Apache and report tools (and much more) and burn
> Morphix-PostgreSQL CDs.
>
> There could be a "light PostgreSQL CD" as well as a "complete PostgreSQL CD".
>
> 4) Create a single website in 30 languages (http://installer.postgresql.org?)
> dedicated to releasing the installation CD.
>
> Based on the pgAdmin experience, there could well be more than 50.000
> downloads every month, out of which 70% would be migrating from MS Windows to
> GNU/Linux.
>
> Comments and ideas are welcome. I would like to help anyone interested in
> becoming the lead of such a project.
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 7: don't forget to increase your free space map settings
>


--
NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>

If you want to install to your hard drive, KNOPPIX installation script
can help you.

However, I think "without any installation" is more important for
newbies.

Any comments?

Satoshi Nagayasu <snaga@snaga.org> wrote:
> We (Japan PostgreSQL User Group) have just created "PostgreSQL LiveCD"
> based KNOPPIX to promote PostgreSQL to newbies. It includes
>
>  - PostgreSQL 7.4.1
>  - PHP 4.3.4
>  - Apache 1.3.29
>  - Tomcat 4.1.9 (but J2SDK is not included because of license.)
>  - phpPgAdmin 3.2.1
>  - pgAdmin3 1.0.2
>  - phpbb
>  - Full text search in these manuals
>
> Screen shot:
> http://www.postgresql.jp/~snaga/shot.png
>
> If you boot your machine with this CD-ROM, all of them are running and
> you can start web application development without any installation.
>
> We will introduce this CD-ROM on NET&COM 2004(Feb.4-6) at Tokyo.
>
> Jean-Michel POURE <jm@poure.com> wrote:
> > Dear friends,
> >
> > In the past, there were several discussions in order to find suitable answers
> > for MS Windows users willing to install and run PostgreSQL.
> >
> > Some of you suggested that users should "install GNU/Linux over Windows". Not
> > so easy for the basic MySQL or Ms Windows user, who need technical
> > assistance ... and fear to destroy their machine.
> >
> > Therefore, I would like to draw some attention on the Morphix CD project from
> > http://sourceforge.net/projects/morphix.
> >
> > Morphix is an auto-bootable Debian GNU/Linux distribution based on Knoppix.
> >
> > What makes Morphix different is that the project has several graphical
> > installers and wizards in preparation (written in plain C, using GTK-2
> > libraries and Glade-2) ... which could possibly be used to install GNU/Linux
> > and PostgreSQL tools over MS Windows.
> >
> > You can download a preview CD of Morphix from this address:
> > http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/morphix/MorphixCombined-Gnome-0.4-1.iso?download
> >
> > Except for the installer itself, the wizards are not yet available in the main
> > Morphix CD. To have a look at them, you will need to checkout from CVS
> > (http://cvs.sourceforge.net/viewcvs.py/morphix) and open the files in
> > Glade-2.
> >
> > I also made some screenshots here:
> >
> > - morphixinstaller: once Morphix has booted in demo mode, you can use this
> > wizard to install Morphix on the disk. Screenshots:
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step1.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step2.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step3.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step4.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step5.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step6.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/morphix_installer_step7.png
> >
> > - isomorphgui: graphical distribution maker (select the requested packages for
> > your distribution and burn the ISO). Screenshots:
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/iso_morph_gui_1.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/iso_morph_gui_2.png
> >
> > - partitionmorpher: resize partitions on the fly (GTK-2 interface to
> > libparted). Screenshots:
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/partition_morpher_1.png
> > http://developer.pgadmin.org/jean-michel/morphix/partition_morpher_2.png
> >
> > IMHO opinion, there is a need to study the Morphix project in more details.
> >
> > Morphix could be a possible solution to the MS Windows migration problems. It
> > probably involves 50 times less work than migrating PostgreSQL to MS Windows
> > (and is a complete different project except for the fact that it could well
> > bring as much new users to PostgreSQL than a native Win port and is less
> > risky).
> >
> > The possible steps for such a project could be (just a guess):
> >
> > 1) Validate Morphixinstaller, isomorphgui and partitionmorpher wizards. These
> > wizards are still in early stages of development. They are developed by one
> > person, who would probably like to receive some help.
> >
> > 2) Create a wizard for PostgreSQL post-installation steps using GTK-2 and
> > Glade-2: configuration of hosts and authentication, tuning and optimization
> > of various parameters (Mainly a graphical interface to pg_hba.conf and
> > postgresql.conf).
> >
> > 3) Gather all known PostgreSQL related Debian packages, including pgAdmin III,
> > PhpPgAdmin, as well as PHP, Apache and report tools (and much more) and burn
> > Morphix-PostgreSQL CDs.
> >
> > There could be a "light PostgreSQL CD" as well as a "complete PostgreSQL CD".
> >
> > 4) Create a single website in 30 languages (http://installer.postgresql.org?)
> > dedicated to releasing the installation CD.
> >
> > Based on the pgAdmin experience, there could well be more than 50.000
> > downloads every month, out of which 70% would be migrating from MS Windows to
> > GNU/Linux.
> >
> > Comments and ideas are welcome. I would like to help anyone interested in
> > becoming the lead of such a project.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> > TIP 7: don't forget to increase your free space map settings
> >
>
>
> --
> NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>
>
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 5: Have you checked our extensive FAQ?
>
>                http://www.postgresql.org/docs/faqs/FAQ.html
>


--
NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>

Le Vendredi 23 Janvier 2004 03:08, Satoshi Nagayasu a écrit :
> If you want to install to your hard drive, KNOPPIX installation script
> can help you.
> However, I think "without any installation" is more important for
> newbies.
> Any comments?

Dear Satoshi,

Your Knoppix-based CD-ROM is a great way to promote PostgreSQL. My Debian
workstation was installed using Knoppix. It worked like a charm without any
problem until now.

My point of view is that Knoppix text-based installation scripts are not
enough user-friendly for most MS Windows users.

This opinion comes from a self-study that I conducted visiting my neighbours
in order to demonstrate and install Debian. My neighbours are mostly casual
MS Windows users with no special background in computing.

Some accepted to replace MS Windows with Debian, others did not. But all of
them had problems with Knoppix text-based installation scripts.

Therefore, my personal opinion is that Knoppix with good graphical
installation wizards would 'rock'. This is how I turned to Morphix ... which
is mostly based on Knoppix. The problem is that Morphix wizards are still
very unstable.

Now, if you allow it, I will contact you privately to propose for help the
best I can ...

Best regards,
Jean-Michel

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Satoshi Nagayasu wrote:

> OK.
> I've started working on the PostgreSQL-KNOPPIX English version.

Satoshi ... Robert Bernier just reminded me that we currently have an
English version sitting in our office ... Of course, I don't have it here
with me, but maybe Robert can comment on what is on it before u spend alot
of time recreating it?  It might be something you two can collaborate on,
if it doesn't contain everything your Japanese version already does?


----
Marc G. Fournier           Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org)
Email: scrappy@hub.org           Yahoo!: yscrappy              ICQ: 7615664

Jean-Michel,

> Morphix is an auto-bootable Debian GNU/Linux distribution based on Knoppix.
>
> What makes Morphix different is that the project has several graphical
> installers and wizards in preparation (written in plain C, using GTK-2
> libraries and Glade-2) ... which could possibly be used to install
> GNU/Linux and PostgreSQL tools over MS Windows.

Nice idea, but the Japanese PostgreSQL User's Group has already stolen a march
on you.  They have a Knoppix distribution with PostgreSQL, phpPgAdmin,
PGAdminIII, phpBB and Linux+KDE already built ... we just need to get it
localized to English.

--
Josh Berkus
Aglio Database Solutions
San Francisco

OK.
I've started working on the PostgreSQL-KNOPPIX English version.

Could anyone tell me postgresql related events schedule?
Are OSCON(June, Portland) and LinuxWorld(August, San Francisco) nearest?

Josh Berkus <josh@agliodbs.com> wrote:
> Jean-Michel,
>
> > Morphix is an auto-bootable Debian GNU/Linux distribution based on Knoppix.
> >
> > What makes Morphix different is that the project has several graphical
> > installers and wizards in preparation (written in plain C, using GTK-2
> > libraries and Glade-2) ... which could possibly be used to install
> > GNU/Linux and PostgreSQL tools over MS Windows.
>
> Nice idea, but the Japanese PostgreSQL User's Group has already stolen a march
> on you.  They have a Knoppix distribution with PostgreSQL, phpPgAdmin,
> PGAdminIII, phpBB and Linux+KDE already built ... we just need to get it
> localized to English.
>
> --
> Josh Berkus
> Aglio Database Solutions
> San Francisco
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 4: Don't 'kill -9' the postmaster
>


--
NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>

Oops. Sorry I missed that thread.
(Because I was working on my master thesis...)

I'll read the past msgs before coming back this topic.

"Marc G. Fournier" <scrappy@postgresql.org> wrote:
> On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Satoshi Nagayasu wrote:
>
> > OK.
> > I've started working on the PostgreSQL-KNOPPIX English version.
>
> Satoshi ... Robert Bernier just reminded me that we currently have an
> English version sitting in our office ... Of course, I don't have it here
> with me, but maybe Robert can comment on what is on it before u spend alot
> of time recreating it?  It might be something you two can collaborate on,
> if it doesn't contain everything your Japanese version already does?
>
>
> ----
> Marc G. Fournier           Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org)
> Email: scrappy@hub.org           Yahoo!: yscrappy              ICQ: 7615664
>


--
NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>

I've read past thread and I know about new book from No Starch Press.

Now, I need some comments about applications which should be included in
such LiveCD.  Which application is appealing for PostgreSQL promotions
or demonstrations?

Or which kind of applications (admin tools, middleware, languages, user
apps) should be included?

Any suggestions or recommendations?

No Starch Press's KNOPPIX includes all of server-side stuffs, pgAdmin3
and pgaccess. Right?


Satoshi Nagayasu <snaga@snaga.org> wrote:
> Oops. Sorry I missed that thread.
> (Because I was working on my master thesis...)
>
> I'll read the past msgs before coming back this topic.
>
> "Marc G. Fournier" <scrappy@postgresql.org> wrote:
> > On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Satoshi Nagayasu wrote:
> >
> > > OK.
> > > I've started working on the PostgreSQL-KNOPPIX English version.
> >
> > Satoshi ... Robert Bernier just reminded me that we currently have an
> > English version sitting in our office ... Of course, I don't have it here
> > with me, but maybe Robert can comment on what is on it before u spend alot
> > of time recreating it?  It might be something you two can collaborate on,
> > if it doesn't contain everything your Japanese version already does?
> >
> >
> > ----
> > Marc G. Fournier           Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org)
> > Email: scrappy@hub.org           Yahoo!: yscrappy              ICQ: 7615664
> >
>
>
> --
> NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>
>


--
NAGAYASU Satoshi <snaga@snaga.org>

Satoshi,

The postgres, knoppix CD that I created last summer was compiled to work
with plpgsql, plperl(u), plpythonu, pltcl(u). It has ODBC and JDBC
drivers compiled into it too: I had some problems with Java initially
but overcame it after I tinkered with the ant startup script.

I recompiled the kernel to get the 'elephant' (does it have a name??)
icon rather than 'tux' in the frame buffer as it booted up, I also
changed the knoppix bootup background to that of a picture of a huge
looking elephant. The desktop was redesigned to offer full documentation
references using konquorer (html and pdf). The desktop also includes
links to pgadmin3 and pgaccess. A link was installed that would invoke
psql straight into the sample databases that I had included.

The trick to making postgres work on the CD was quite trivial, I edited
the init script to identify if it was reading itself off a CD
installation and subsequently copied the entire database cluster over to
the virtual drive. The postgres server also works after its been
committed to the PC harddrive too using the knoppix hdinstall script.

You will find a detailed article that I wrote on how to create a knoppix
CD at the orielly site,
http://linux.oreillynet.com/pub/a/linux/2003/11/20/knoppix.html . There
are also references made to it off the knoppix users site and the linux
show,
http://www2.thelinuxshow.com/archives/2003/upcoming-2003-11-25.html
among others. The article was rated by O'Reilly as among its top 5 for
the month of November.

The book's publishing date has been scheduled for late spring/early
summer so I had always planned to going back and updating the CD such as
maybe including pl/r.

It became apparent that a postgres CD would be quite useful at OSCON
since "No Starch Press" and O'Reilly have an existing business
relationship. Since I already write for O'Reilly I thought  would be
interesting to see if I could kill several birds with one stone.

regards


Robert


Satoshi Nagayasu wrote:

>I've read past thread and I know about new book from No Starch Press.
>
>Now, I need some comments about applications which should be included in
>such LiveCD.  Which application is appealing for PostgreSQL promotions
>or demonstrations?
>
>Or which kind of applications (admin tools, middleware, languages, user
>apps) should be included?
>
>Any suggestions or recommendations?
>
>No Starch Press's KNOPPIX includes all of server-side stuffs, pgAdmin3
>and pgaccess. Right?
>
>
>Satoshi Nagayasu <snaga@snaga.org> wrote:
>
>
>>Oops. Sorry I missed that thread.
>>(Because I was working on my master thesis...)
>>
>>I'll read the past msgs before coming back this topic.
>>
>>"Marc G. Fournier" <scrappy@postgresql.org> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Satoshi Nagayasu wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>OK.
>>>>I've started working on the PostgreSQL-KNOPPIX English version.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>Satoshi ... Robert Bernier just reminded me that we currently have an
>>>English version sitting in our office ... Of course, I don't have it here
>>>with me, but maybe Robert can comment on what is on it before u spend alot
>>>of time recreating it?  It might be something you two can collaborate on,
>>>if it doesn't contain everything your Japanese version already does?
>>>
>>>

On Sat, 24 Jan 2004, Robert Bernier wrote:

> I recompiled the kernel to get the 'elephant' (does it have a name??)

Slonik ...


----
Marc G. Fournier           Hub.Org Networking Services (http://www.hub.org)
Email: scrappy@hub.org           Yahoo!: yscrappy              ICQ: 7615664