BUG #2374: Installation Error

-bugs is getting inundated with windows installer bugs, and people on
the list don't seem to be replying to them. Can someone with the
installer project add more prominent information about where users
should be reporting installer bugs to? (I'm guessing that the
installer has a bug tracker, but I'm not online right now to check...)

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Rick Craft" <rickcraft@usa.net>
Date: April 4, 2006 4:26:33 AM EDT
To: pgsql-bugs@postgresql.org
Subject: [BUGS] BUG #2374: Installation Error

The following bug has been logged online:

Bug reference: 2374
Logged by: Rick Craft
Email address: rickcraft@usa.net
PostgreSQL version: 8.1.3
Operating system: Windows XP Professional
Description: Installation Error
Details:

Whenever I select a Service Username, I get a message that
localhost\username does not exist, do I want to create an account.
When
answering YES, a password is automatically generated, and the
installation
continues. After installing all of the DLL's and modules, it says
that the
username that I created at the beginning already exists and then it
does a
rollback. this happens no matter what username I try to create as the
Service username.

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--
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant jnasby@pervasive.com
Pervasive Software http://pervasive.com work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf cell: 512-569-9461

It does, and it's listed on the page. It clearly states use the
mailinglists for general stuff, and the trackers for installer specific
issues.

However, this is the official installer for pg on win32. And I'd expect
a lot of new users not to know (or understand) the distinction that the
installer is not a part of the database project. To people from the
outside, that just doesn't make sense.

Don't expect ppl to actually *read* what's on the pages. ;-) For
example, it clearly says "don't download from here, download from the
ftp network", and we still get an avg of some 400 downloads per day,
with well over 1000/day around releases. (That just download a HTML file
with a redirect to the ftp network, so pgFoundry stands a chance of
surviving)

(Notice that we also have text saying please don't post postgresql bugs
here, just installer bugs, and we still regularly get bug reports about
general backend stuff)

Now, it would certainly help if more people could actually help in
*answering* the bugs/questions that are posted :), but that's a
different question...

//Magnus

Magnus Hagander wrote:

Now, it would certainly help if more people could actually help in
*answering* the bugs/questions that are posted :), but that's a
different question...

//Magnus

I have created a very nice installer using Inno setup and it is about 50
times easier to code for than the current
cryptic WIX setup. Why don't you have a look?
Here is the source with a bsd license:
http://www.amsoftwaredesign.com/downloads/pg_installer_setup.zip

All the create user and runas stuff is done using API commands via a
Delphi or Free Pascal DLL(not tested but should work)
It does not use the RunAs service at all and handles the initDB.

You could also use a C or C++ dll just as easily.

Just reminding everyone it's out there.

--
Tony Caduto
AM Software Design
http://www.amsoftwaredesign.com
Home of PG Lightning Admin for Postgresql
Your best bet for Postgresql Administration

On Thu, Apr 06, 2006 at 03:55:20PM +0200, Magnus Hagander wrote:

Now, it would certainly help if more people could actually help in
*answering* the bugs/questions that are posted :), but that's a
different question...

Well, that's my primary concern. It seems that people aren't replying to
bugs posted -bugs about the windows installer. I just want to make sure
they're being addressed.

All the ones I saw seemed to come in from the web form, so we should
probably put something on that page as well. Or better yet, set it up so
that for select projects such as the installer people can report bugs
using the main bug form and they'll end up in the appropriate tracker on
pgFoundry.
--
Jim C. Nasby, Sr. Engineering Consultant jnasby@pervasive.com
Pervasive Software http://pervasive.com work: 512-231-6117
vcard: http://jim.nasby.net/pervasive.vcf cell: 512-569-9461

Now, it would certainly help if more people could actually help in
*answering* the bugs/questions that are posted :), but that's a
different question...

Well, that's my primary concern. It seems that people aren't
replying to bugs posted -bugs about the windows installer. I
just want to make sure they're being addressed.

All the ones I saw seemed to come in from the web form, so we
should probably put something on that page as well. Or better
yet, set it up so that for select projects such as the
installer people can report bugs using the main bug form and
they'll end up in the appropriate tracker on pgFoundry.

You won't get *more* responses to questinos by moving them to a forum
where *less* people read them... What we need is to somehow get more
people to respond to them, and I think that's easier to get done on the
bugs list.

Not many people deal with the trackers for pginstaller, because not many
people are directly involved in developing on it. And a lot of the bug
reports that come in are either FAQs or general windows-problems not
directly related to the installer, which people can answer without
knowing the source to the installer...

//Magnus

-----Original Message-----
From: pgsql-hackers-owner@postgresql.org
[mailto:pgsql-hackers-owner@postgresql.org] On Behalf Of
Magnus Hagander
Sent: 07 April 2006 13:00
To: Jim C. Nasby
Cc: pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: [HACKERS] Windows installer bugs (was: [BUGS]
BUG #2374: Installation Error)

You won't get *more* responses to questinos by moving them to
a forum where *less* people read them... What we need is to
somehow get more people to respond to them, and I think
that's easier to get done on the bugs list.

Not to mention that redirecting people will alienate them away from
PostgreSQL and make us come across as pedantic and unhelpful. Just
because we see a distinction between the source code and our binary
installers (be they RPM, Win32 or whatever) doesn't mean that the rest
of the world will. They downloaded PostgreSQL, from the PostgreSQL
website, so will go to the PostgreSQL bugs page to report bugs or
problems (which may also be thought to be a bug in their eyes).

Regards, Dave