Thread: Programmatic method to determine currently installed Windows PostrgreSQL version

Hi,

I'm in the process of creating an Windows installation
package for a product that uses PostgreSQL.

During the installation I would like to check if
PostgreSQL is installed and if it is, which version.

I think that I can infer that PostgreSQL is installed
by searching for the
\HKLM\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Services or
HLKM\SOFTWARE\PostrgreSQL\Installations registry keys.
 However I am not so sure about the version number
identification.

I note that with v8.0.x the following ValueName
exists:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{5AA3FA26-72A2-4D06-9BFE-98E650A37B6D}
"Version"="8.0"

And with 8.1 beta the following:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{317D0ED1-8845-40DD-A028-0A3EB8E24F2E}
"Version"="8.1-beta4"

So it looks like the version number is underneath a
key that changes with every new version (new Product
number).  And I am therefore not sure if I can use
this knowledge to identify the installed version.

Does anyone have a better idea for a more reliable
identification method?

Thanks,
Will




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> Hi,
>
> I'm in the process of creating an Windows installation
> package for a product that uses PostgreSQL.
>
> During the installation I would like to check if PostgreSQL
> is installed and if it is, which version.
>
> I think that I can infer that PostgreSQL is installed by
> searching for the \HKLM\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Services or
> HLKM\SOFTWARE\PostrgreSQL\Installations registry keys.
>  However I am not so sure about the version number identification.
>
> I note that with v8.0.x the following ValueName
> exists:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{5AA3FA26
> -72A2-4D06-9BFE-98E650A37B6D}
> "Version"="8.0"
>
> And with 8.1 beta the following:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{317D0ED1
> -8845-40DD-A028-0A3EB8E24F2E}
> "Version"="8.1-beta4"
>
> So it looks like the version number is underneath a key that
> changes with every new version (new Product number).  And I
> am therefore not sure if I can use this knowledge to identify
> the installed version.

It changes once for each major version, meaning there is one for 8.0 and
8.1. The whole 8.0.x series share the same id, as will the whole 8.1
series (at least that's the plan). It basically changes when initdb is
required to upgrade, which is why it also changes between betas.

You can safely rely on these once you've seen the ones for a release.
For example, don't use the beta4 one, wait for the 8.1 release one.


> Does anyone have a better idea for a more reliable
> identification method?

Using these registry keys will reliably identify any PostgreSQL
installations done using the MSI installer - it won't pick up any other
install methods. For those, you could either search the filesystem, or
attempt a connect to the default port etc - but I think those would
either be too slow or a lot less reliable.

//Magnus

--- Magnus Hagander <mha@sollentuna.net> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I'm in the process of creating an Windows
> installation
> > package for a product that uses PostgreSQL.
> >
> > During the installation I would like to check if
> PostgreSQL
> > is installed and if it is, which version.
> >
> > I think that I can infer that PostgreSQL is
> installed by
> > searching for the
> \HKLM\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Services or
> > HLKM\SOFTWARE\PostrgreSQL\Installations registry
> keys.
> >  However I am not so sure about the version number
> identification.
> >
> > I note that with v8.0.x the following ValueName
> > exists:
> >
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{5AA3FA26
> > -72A2-4D06-9BFE-98E650A37B6D}
> > "Version"="8.0"
> >
> > And with 8.1 beta the following:
> >
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{317D0ED1
> > -8845-40DD-A028-0A3EB8E24F2E}
> > "Version"="8.1-beta4"
> >
> > So it looks like the version number is underneath
> a key that
> > changes with every new version (new Product
> number).  And I
> > am therefore not sure if I can use this knowledge
> to identify
> > the installed version.
>
> It changes once for each major version, meaning
> there is one for 8.0 and
> 8.1. The whole 8.0.x series share the same id, as
> will the whole 8.1
> series (at least that's the plan). It basically
> changes when initdb is
> required to upgrade, which is why it also changes
> between betas.
>
> You can safely rely on these once you've seen the
> ones for a release.
> For example, don't use the beta4 one, wait for the
> 8.1 release one.
>
>
> > Does anyone have a better idea for a more reliable
>
> > identification method?
>
> Using these registry keys will reliably identify any
> PostgreSQL
> installations done using the MSI installer - it
> won't pick up any other
> install methods. For those, you could either search
> the filesystem, or
> attempt a connect to the default port etc - but I
> think those would
> either be too slow or a lot less reliable.

Hi Magnus, thanks for the quick response.
Unfortunately I still have an issue with this regsitry
identification method because I'd like to code my
installer so that it can also identify the postreSQL
versions that were not available at the time I
authored my install check, i.e. future versions.

In essence I know that my product works with
PostrgeSQL 8.0 and 8.1 and it my guees is that it will
continue to work with future PostgreSQL versions.  So
I'd like my installer to be able to check that 8.0 or
above is installed.

Is this possible, given the method the PostrgeSQL
installer uses to record it's version number in the
registry?

Thanks,
Will



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Will Wright wrote:
>
> Hi Magnus, thanks for the quick response.
> Unfortunately I still have an issue with this regsitry
> identification method because I'd like to code my
> installer so that it can also identify the postreSQL
> versions that were not available at the time I
> authored my install check, i.e. future versions.

You could issue a "SELECT version()" - that is about as definitive as
you can get.

Don't forget you'll need to cope with the case where a user has 2 or
more versions of PostgreSQL running on the same machine. I'm not sure
it's safe to assume only one installation.

--
   Richard Huxton
   Archonet Ltd

Thanks Richard, I will look into whether or not I will
have access to the SELECT statement.

Regards,
Will

--- Richard Huxton <dev@archonet.com> wrote:

> Will Wright wrote:
> >
> > Hi Magnus, thanks for the quick response.
> > Unfortunately I still have an issue with this
> regsitry
> > identification method because I'd like to code my
> > installer so that it can also identify the
> postreSQL
> > versions that were not available at the time I
> > authored my install check, i.e. future versions.
>
> You could issue a "SELECT version()" - that is about
> as definitive as
> you can get.
>
> Don't forget you'll need to cope with the case where
> a user has 2 or
> more versions of PostgreSQL running on the same
> machine. I'm not sure
> it's safe to assume only one installation.
>
> --
>    Richard Huxton
>    Archonet Ltd
>




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> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{317D0ED1
> > > -8845-40DD-A028-0A3EB8E24F2E}
> > > "Version"="8.1-beta4"
> > >
> > > So it looks like the version number is underneath
> > a key that
> > > changes with every new version (new Product
> > number).  And I
> > > am therefore not sure if I can use this knowledge
> > to identify
> > > the installed version.
> >
> > It changes once for each major version, meaning there is
> one for 8.0
> > and 8.1. The whole 8.0.x series share the same id, as will
> the whole
> > 8.1 series (at least that's the plan). It basically changes when
> > initdb is required to upgrade, which is why it also changes between
> > betas.
> >
> > You can safely rely on these once you've seen the ones for
> a release.
> > For example, don't use the beta4 one, wait for the
> > 8.1 release one.
> >
> >
> > > Does anyone have a better idea for a more reliable
> >
> > > identification method?
> >
> > Using these registry keys will reliably identify any PostgreSQL
> > installations done using the MSI installer - it won't pick up any
> > other install methods. For those, you could either search the
> > filesystem, or attempt a connect to the default port etc -
> but I think
> > those would either be too slow or a lot less reliable.
>
> Hi Magnus, thanks for the quick response.
> Unfortunately I still have an issue with this regsitry
> identification method because I'd like to code my installer
> so that it can also identify the postreSQL versions that were
> not available at the time I authored my install check, i.e.
> future versions.
>
> In essence I know that my product works with PostrgeSQL 8.0
> and 8.1 and it my guees is that it will continue to work with
> future PostgreSQL versions.  So I'd like my installer to be
> able to check that 8.0 or above is installed.

To do this, enumerate the keys under PostgreSQL\Installations. You can
count on future versions to register there with a different GUID - so if
you enumerate everything that's there, you can look at the Version value
to see the actual version.


//Magnus

Thanks Magnus.  Much appreciated.

Will

--- Magnus Hagander <mha@sollentuna.net> wrote:

> >
>
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\{317D0ED1
> > > > -8845-40DD-A028-0A3EB8E24F2E}
> > > > "Version"="8.1-beta4"
> > > >
> > > > So it looks like the version number is
> underneath
> > > a key that
> > > > changes with every new version (new Product
> > > number).  And I
> > > > am therefore not sure if I can use this
> knowledge
> > > to identify
> > > > the installed version.
> > >
> > > It changes once for each major version, meaning
> there is
> > one for 8.0
> > > and 8.1. The whole 8.0.x series share the same
> id, as will
> > the whole
> > > 8.1 series (at least that's the plan). It
> basically changes when
> > > initdb is required to upgrade, which is why it
> also changes between
> > > betas.
> > >
> > > You can safely rely on these once you've seen
> the ones for
> > a release.
> > > For example, don't use the beta4 one, wait for
> the
> > > 8.1 release one.
> > >
> > >
> > > > Does anyone have a better idea for a more
> reliable
> > >
> > > > identification method?
> > >
> > > Using these registry keys will reliably identify
> any PostgreSQL
> > > installations done using the MSI installer - it
> won't pick up any
> > > other install methods. For those, you could
> either search the
> > > filesystem, or attempt a connect to the default
> port etc -
> > but I think
> > > those would either be too slow or a lot less
> reliable.
> >
> > Hi Magnus, thanks for the quick response.
> > Unfortunately I still have an issue with this
> regsitry
> > identification method because I'd like to code my
> installer
> > so that it can also identify the postreSQL
> versions that were
> > not available at the time I authored my install
> check, i.e.
> > future versions.
> >
> > In essence I know that my product works with
> PostrgeSQL 8.0
> > and 8.1 and it my guees is that it will continue
> to work with
> > future PostgreSQL versions.  So I'd like my
> installer to be
> > able to check that 8.0 or above is installed.
>
> To do this, enumerate the keys under
> PostgreSQL\Installations. You can
> count on future versions to register there with a
> different GUID - so if
> you enumerate everything that's there, you can look
> at the Version value
> to see the actual version.
>
>
> //Magnus
>





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