Re: Windows installation suggestion

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.

> 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 :-)

//Magnus