Thread: Re: Have a PG 7.3.1 Windows (cygwin) easy installer... now what to do with it?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Justin Clift [mailto:justin@postgresql.org]
> Sent: 27 January 2003 02:38
> To: Dave Page
> Cc: PostgreSQL Hackers Mailing List; PostgreSQL Cygwin Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [CYGWIN] Have a PG 7.3.1 Windows (cygwin) easy
> installer... now what to do with it?
>
>
> The package here also has the ODBC drivers in it, but doesn't include
> pgAdmin, nor Igor's WinMaster.  It was originally assembled
> with both of
> them, but WinMaster didn't seem to really add anything (the package
> auto-installs as a service),

No, WinMaster shouldn't be required for a production system, though it
can be handy for testing.

> and with pgAdmin I was having trouble
> getting it to register HighlightBox.ocx and use it once
> installed.  :(
> No real stress there, as I'm really sure the pgAdmin team and
> yourself
> will be able to give pointers on how to make that work properly.  :)

Step 1 is use an MSI compliant setup package. Step 2 is then extremely
easy. There are a number of advantages to this including:

1) DLL conflicts are handled properly by the installer service.
2) Installations can be properly rolled back in case they fail.
3) Installation patches can be created.
4) The base package can be built as a merge module which can then be
included in any other setup program for seamless integration, and a
guaranteed correct installation.

Point 4 here is very important. If people want to include PostgreSQL in
their application (which is surely what we want?), all they need do is
include the merge module in their own setup. This is how pgAdmin
installs psqlODBC. The stup builder doesn't need to know how PostgreSQL
installs and therefore doesn't have to re-write his own version of the
installer, and risk getting it wrong. It also means that the installer
service can correctly handle the installation of a PostgreSQL-included
package onto a system that already has PostgreSQL installed.

Regards, Dave.

Dave Page wrote:
<snip>
>>No real stress there, as I'm really sure the pgAdmin team and
>>yourself
>>will be able to give pointers on how to make that work properly.  :)
 >
> Step 1 is use an MSI compliant setup package.

Ok, do you have any recommendations?  Using M$ Visual <anything> isn't
an option, but am willing to look at alternatives.

 > Step 2 is then extremely
> easy. There are a number of advantages to this including:
>
> 1) DLL conflicts are handled properly by the installer service.
> 2) Installations can be properly rolled back in case they fail.
> 3) Installation patches can be created.
> 4) The base package can be built as a merge module which can then be
> included in any other setup program for seamless integration, and a
> guaranteed correct installation.

These sound like worthwhile things to cater for.


> Point 4 here is very important. If people want to include PostgreSQL in
> their application (which is surely what we want?), all they need do is
> include the merge module in their own setup. This is how pgAdmin
> installs psqlODBC. The stup builder doesn't need to know how PostgreSQL
> installs and therefore doesn't have to re-write his own version of the
> installer, and risk getting it wrong. It also means that the installer
> service can correctly handle the installation of a PostgreSQL-included
> package onto a system that already has PostgreSQL installed.

Am curious as to whether packaging solutions other than MSI use merge
modules.  Any idea?

:-)

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift


> Regards, Dave.


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