Installation issues

A program I wish to distribute uses a postgreql database. Much thanks to the people on this list who have helped with my ingained ignorance :)

I keep reading in the list of problems people are having installing postgresql on MS windows platforms.

I have installed successfully using the "Windows Proof of Concept" PgSQL731wina1.exe ; which is now over 12 months old provided the operator logs in as "Administrator"

I really like the idea of having one single install file and was wondering if this version PgSQL731wina1.exe is going to be upgraded soon to Postgres 7.4 as a true windows native postgres seems to be months away at best.

As a backend to the application Postgres has proved fully sufficient and a rather nice database to use. I have had some performance related issues that relate to the use of indexes but understand these issues have been addresses in v7.4. My main operational issue is the lack of a control panel to handle database re-start-on-crash and provide a visual confirmation of server status. I is a major worry as I think about handing this stuff out for others to use.

Also the PgSQL731wina1.exe was 11mb in size and it would be my hope that the installation files could be a lot smaller. Perhaps if someone is doing a control panel applet for postgres they could think about progressive installation. Perhaps initially only some features and the essentials to run the postmaster are installed. Later the operator can choose to include documentation and other features, perhaps including links to associated sites such as pgAdminIII. Such an applet would also allow the settings in postgresql.conf to be adjusted easily and would signal a running server with "pg_ctl restart" when closed.

Ah. Sorry. Guess you folks are like me : already running as fast as you can chasing the tail in front. Give it another 12 months a postgres will be a beauty.

Anyway apart from installing PgSQL731wina1.exe and shoving a sock in the thing that does the complaining have people got suggestions for making the installation process as pain free as possible? What I dread most is a flood of DB related support calls as users go throught the learning curve with Postgres. Many of the potential users would have no idea what a windows "service " is let alone checking to see if it is running. Indeed the user will want to use the application "out-of-the-box" and generally has little patience for "tweeking".

best regards

Richard Sydney-Smith