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

Sorry, I think there was a misunderstanding. What were you looking for?

I used inno setup as well. If you want I can send my install script.

I thought I was being very forth coming.

I even help out on the Windows PG console window.

Justin Clift wrote:

mlw wrote:

Sorry, I think there was a misunderstanding. What were you looking for?

Sorry Mark, I just thought you were busy.

Was wondering if you were going to make a project of it somewhere, so we
can get things together and have a really decent release for Windows
when 7.4 comes out. :)

I used inno setup as well. If you want I can send my install script.

That would be really cool. :)

How did you handle the user and "Log on as a service" aspects of it?

:)

I thought I was being very forth coming.

Yep, you 100% have a really good attitude, that's why I thought you were
busy.

:)

I even help out on the Windows PG console window.

Took a look at it, and the three buttons seem permanently greyed out in
the download from the WinMaster project. Wasn't sure if it was a
configuration issue on my part, or if the code hadn't been fleshed out yet.

Interested in making a project on GBorg or something for the "complete
Windows installer" as a place to work out of?

:-)

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift

--
"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those
who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the
first group; there was less competition there."
- Indira Gandhi

I thought I sent off an email about how to do it, OK here goes:

Create a working minimal cygwin with postgres install.
Delete unwanted utilities and files.
Test if you can start, stop, initdb, and query Postgres.
Use the attached pgsql.iss script to make the install.

Notes:
My version of the console program may be different than what is up on
winmaster. I sent all my changes to Igor, but I have never been able to
compile what he sends back. I'm not sure what compiler he is using, I am
building mine with gcc and MSVC.

The registry entries are very important, make sure you don't mess with
them too much.

You asked how I managed the "run as service" issue. I handled it by
ignoring it. I do not setup the run as service option because, IMHO, it
is too hard to ensure that the setup works without any problems. I
modified the console program to take care of the issues of running
PostgreSQL under cygwin, including cygipc. If I were to add "run as a
service" I would write a service program that wrapped the cygwin and
cygipc details in much the same way as the console program does.

Further thoughts about "run as service." My install is aimed at Windows
power users, not back office guys. PostgreSQL with cygwin is not ready
for the back office, the biggest problems are the limit of concurrent
connections and performance. I don't trust cygwin as a reliable service,
so adding the option "run as a service" may just encourage them to do
so. I think that would do more harm than not having the option. When
PostgreSQL has a native Windows version, I'll add it. Until then, I
think of it more as a "desktop" version for small offices and
developers. The "server" version currently only runs on UNIX

Justin Clift wrote:

-----Original Message-----
From: Justin Clift [mailto:justin@postgresql.org]
Sent: 26 January 2003 03:12
To: PostgreSQL Hackers Mailing List; PostgreSQL Cygwin Mailing List
Subject: [CYGWIN] Have a PG 7.3.1 Windows (cygwin) easy
installer... now what to do with it?

Anyway, spent the last two days making a brand new "PostgreSQL 7.3.1
Proof of Concept for Windows Alpha 1" easy-installer
(11,161KB) using a
product called Inno Setup (very nice) and have a pretty good result.

Hi Justin,

Does it use the Microsoft Installer service so we can provide a merge
module for embedded installations in other products as we do for
psqlODBC? If not, I for one will probably end up redoing it all anyway
:-(

Regards, Dave.

Dave Page wrote:
<snip>

Hi Justin,

Does it use the Microsoft Installer service so we can provide a merge
module for embedded installations in other products as we do for
psqlODBC? If not, I for one will probably end up redoing it all anyway
:-(

Hi Dave,

It's an installation "setup.exe" type of thing, created using a product
called Inno Setup.

Spent about 20 minutes last night on an email to Mark (mlw) yesterday
after analysing his Inno Setup script (he's got some good ideas in
there), but Mozilla died when I hit send. Arrgh.

It would be cool if we had a project on GBorg for it, so we can create
and co-ordinate the "windows specific bits" that will be desirable to
have for 7.4 when it's released. We can use 7.3.1 for the moment and
practise with that. There's probably no real reason that people can't
use the 7.3.1 version for smaller stuff in the real world (personal
workstation database for development, etc).

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), 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. :)

Mark's version uses his custom built CygConsole program, based on Igor's
WinMaster, and sounds like it has more functionality, but it doesn't
install as a service. The target for the package here is that
PostgreSQL gets installed and runs in the background unless it's
explicitely disabled or de-installed. The package here also has a bunch
of shortcuts in it to the websites.

Will chuck it up on the techdocs site somewhere in a few minutes as a
temporary home until we get the GBorg project up and running.

Anyone have a good idea for the name of the project?

:-)

Regards and best wishes,

Justin Clift

Regards, Dave.

--
"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those
who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the
first group; there was less competition there."
- Indira Gandhi

-----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.

--
"My grandfather once told me that there are two kinds of people: those
who work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the
first group; there was less competition there."
- Indira Gandhi

-----Original Message-----
From: Justin Clift [mailto:justin@postgresql.org]
Sent: 27 January 2003 11:51
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?

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.

I don't know of any freebies, other than the Microsoft Installer SDK
which is a pain to use. I use Wise for Windows Installer for the ODBC
driver, Installshield also does MSI format though.

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

MSI is the underlying technology built into Windows and the packaging
format, rather than the packaging software itself. They are pushing it's
use because it allows centralised control of installations independently
of the author of the tools (among other things). In other words, even if
Fred Blogss (sorry Fred) writes a bad installer that will cause DLL
hell, the installer service should sort out the mess.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/msi/set
up/about_windows_installer.asp

Regards, Dave.

Took a look at it, and the three buttons seem permanently greyed out in
the download from the WinMaster project. Wasn't sure if it was a
configuration issue on my part, or if the code hadn't been fleshed out

yet.

All Mark's changes are included in latest code.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Also a registry template is included - winmaster.reg.
You may edit it in accordance with your instalation and add the
information to registry
----------------------------------------------------------------
The deafult profile name are stored in
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WinMaster]
"DefProfile"="PostgreSQL"
----------------------------------------------------------------
Optional profiles may be used trough command line parameter.
To use the profile PostgreSQL723 stored in
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WinMaster\PostgreSQL723]
execute this
winmaster PostgreSQL723
----------------------------------------------------------------