Re: DB Journal: PostgreSQL Software Installation

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003, Jacob Hanson wrote:

> I don't agree with this. I mean, it's not *hard* to install
> PostgreSQL, but it's nowhere as easy as Firebird or MySQL either.

Actually, while MySQL is quite easy to install in binary formats (RPM,
etc...) I've found it MUCH harder to install and get running from source
than is postgresql. And there are lots of switches for things like data
casting / input coercien, and ISO standards following for mysql that you
don't have to worry about with postgresql.

The fact that MySQL will run as root makes installation much easier, but
also has its very real drawbacks from a security perspective. I've seen
at least 3 root exploits for redhat's mysql package in the last year.
I've NEVER seen a root exploit for postgresql, since it refuses to run as
such.

> I mean, with Firebird, you basically run the install script and it
> does everything for you, including starting the server, end of story.
>
> With PostgreSQL, unfortunately, (at least when compiling from source
> as I do) you have to do several menial tasks, like create a data
> directory and set various permissions, add postgresql to chkconfig
> (redhat anyway), create a user, start postmaster with that user, then
> do an initdb. Not difficult, but more involved that simply running a
> script as you do with the others. Now with 7.4, having to manually
> setup autovaccuum is another thing to do.

However, From packages they are both easy as dirt to install. But
Postgresql requires more know how to configure once it's installed, i.e.
postgresql.conf and pg_hba.conf. Using RPMs cuts down on the amount of
work a postgresql install needs by a huge amount.