Re: Windows installation suggestion

Magnus Hagander wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 12, 2007 at 06:35:35PM +0900, Paul Lambert wrote:
>> Magnus Hagander wrote:
>>> On Mon, Feb 12, 2007 at 12:13:49PM +0900, Paul Lambert wrote:
>>>> I'd like to make a suggestion for a change to the windows installation
>>>> for Postgres if permissable... not sure if this is the right list to be
>>>> posting to.
>>>>
>>>> Suggestion as follows:
>>>>
>>>> Have the install update the PATH environment variable to include the
>>>> Postgres BIN directory to enable things to be run from commandline (such
>>>> as psql) without having to switch into that directory.
>>> We've talked about this before, and rejected it. The reason is that it
>>> breaks when you have more than one version installed on the same system.
>>>
>>> We've considered adding a checkbox (off by default) to the installation
>>> that would set it, though, but the demand just hasn't been there yet ;-)
>>>
>>> Does it not help to just use the "Command Prompt" shortcut on the
>>> PostgreSQL menu in the start menu?
>>>
>>> //Magnus
>>>
>> I'm setting up some batch jobs that perform various tasks, some of which
>> will involve psql. I've manually adjusted the path variable on my server
>> in this instance, however I can see that multiple versions may result in
>> some undesired behavior.
>>
>> A checkbox would work, providing it removes the pre-existing
>> installations reference in the path variable... otherwise you could be
>> unknowingly running the wrong version of programs and seeing unexpected
>> results.
>
> That is the problem - how to find and identify that one, and how to be
> sure that it was something added by the installer and not by the user
> himself. So far we've just taken the easy way out and said the user has
> to deal with it.
>

Logical way out I'd say.

>> Apparently this fact didn't cross my mind when I decided to make the
>> suggestion ;)
>>
>> I blame my ignorance on years of using M$ SQL server.
>
> Yeah, they don't support multiple versions on the same machine :-) Lack
> of features makes some thigns easier :-)
>
Easier - perhaps, more frustrating - definitely.

> //Magnus
>

Cheers for the info.

P.

--
Paul Lambert
Database Administrator
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