[postgis-devel] postgis extension sans raster (only for folks who can't compile with raster support) - PSC Vote and developer/packager comments please

Wed Oct 28 14:42:59 PDT 2015

Hello,

On 28/10/2015 15:06, Paul Ramsey wrote:
> Losing GDAL would be a step backwards, IMO, but I suppose we've gotten
> this far. I've just been hoping to make the SRS handling more magic by
> leaning on the OGR SRS stuff a bit, and that's not possible with GDAL
> out of the picture. However I guess that's the #1 reason for splitting
> raster out. I worry alot about this proposal impossibly complicating
> upgrades. PostGIS 3.0?

Ok, if GDAL is on its way to become a mandatory dependency for PostGIS
core (raster included), then I have no specific opinion on the extension
topic.

Could you elaborate on your SRS magic in another thread when it's mature
enough ?

Vincent

> 
> P.
> 
> On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 2:58 AM, Vincent Picavet (ml)
> <vincent.ml at oslandia.com> wrote:
>> Hello Regina,
>>
>> We do have cases where we do not need raster at all (>90% of our users),
>> and must compile everything from scratch (~10% of our users). We would
>> be pleased to not having to compile GDAL in this case.
>> And it would be great to still use the CREATE EXTENSION mechanism to
>> install Postgis, just to be consistent from a user point of view, with
>> what can be found in most documentation.
>> But I think we could live with a specific SQL loading method for the 10%.
>>
>> I personally would appreciate to have CREATE EXTENSION postgis; (or
>> postgis_core) and CREATE EXTENSION postgis_raster;
>> As said, it is then clear from an application point of view which
>> dependencies you have, avoid to rely on GDAL if not needed - which can
>> be a pain with all its dependencies - and avoid to clutter the function
>> lists, memory and all.
>>
>> But then it is a matter of how much work is required for that from the
>> developers, and is there funding to make it work this way.
>>
>> Vincent
>>
>> On 27/10/2015 23:49, Paragon Corporation wrote:
>>> How many folks are unable to compile postgis with raster or have a
>>> package that has no raster support and who REALLY REALLY want to be
>>> able to install postgis with:
>>>
>>> CREATE EXTENSION postgis;
>>>
>>> This is a repost of a conversation I started in PostGIS -develop
>>> which I probably should have cc'd PostGIS users on.  It seems not too
>>> many people on dev have issue compiling with GDAL support.
>>>
>>> The issue discussed is that since postgis raster is part of the
>>> postgis extension, if people choose to compile without raster support
>>> because they can't get GDAL to work (despite being discouraged), they
>>> can not do
>>>
>>> CREATE EXTENSION postgis;
>>>
>>> They have to resort to the old way of using postgis contrib scripts
>>> to install.
>>>
>>> My proposition https://trac.osgeo.org/postgis/ticket/3338
>>>
>>>
>>> was still have a postgis that has raster support (as breaking it out
>>> at this point would be  headache particularly for the person who has
>>> to deal with the upgrade ramifications) and a big headache for people
>>> who use raster heavily as now they'd have two extensions to bother
>>> with.
>>>
>>> That said the proposition in a nutshell is this
>>>
>>> 1) Still have raster as default and you still need to explicitly ask
>>> for --without-raster 2) If you ask for --without-raster, you'll get
>>> an extension called  "postgis" with no raster functions in it, but
>>> with an extension version number that reads  2.3.0-no-raster
>>>
>>> So a query like this if you compiled without raster:
>>>
>>> SELECT  * FROM pg_available_extensions() WHERE name = 'postgis';
>>>
>>> Would read:
>>>
>>> name   | default_version |                               comment
>>> ---------+-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>> postgis | 2.3.0-no-raster     | PostGIS geometry and geography  spatial
>> types and functions
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>> Instead of:
>>>
>>> name   | default_version |                               comment
>>> ---------+-----------------+---------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>> postgis | 2.3.0           | PostGIS geometry, geography, and raster
>> spatial types and functions
>>> (1 row)
>>>
>>>
>>> Which means people who have postgis without raster support can follow
>>> the world renowned instructions:
>>>
>>> CREATE EXTENSION postgis;
>>>
>>> Like everyone else and all the other postgis extensions
>>> postgis_topology, postgis_tiger_geocoder will be built as well.
>>>
>>> The main downside to this is 1) you have a postgresql postgis
>>> extension that may not have any raster functions and one that goes by
>>> same extension name postgis with raster support. Though I claim this
>>> is clear from the version number and description :) 2) It does mean
>>> it’s a bit easier for packager maintainers to package a postgis
>>> without raster support which is both good and bad -- good for older
>>> systems where an old antiquated gdal is not readily available so they
>>> can still package a newer postgis for it. -- bad for users who rely
>>> on package maintainers and really want raster support as their
>>> package maintainer might just decide not to bother with raster.
>>>
>>> If there is enough interest, I will reopen the ticket I closed and
>>> create and RFC as Paul Ramsey suggested to flesh out the complete
>>> details of this and how upgrading would work For folks coming from a
>>> postgis without raster non-extension version to a postgis without
>>> raster extension version.
>>>
>>> Thanks, Regina http://www.postgis.us http://postgis.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message----- From: postgis-devel
>>> [mailto:postgis-devel-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Sandro
>>> Santilli Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2015 5:28 PM To: PostGIS
>>> Development Discussion <postgis-devel at lists.osgeo.org> Subject: Re:
>>> [postgis-devel] postgis extension sans raster (only for folks who
>>> can't compile with raster support) - PSC Vote and developer/packager
>>> comments please
>>>
>>> On Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 03:39:29PM -0400, Paragon Corporation wrote:
>>>> I've retracted.  Seems not enough interest for this and could lead
>>>> to confusion.
>>>>
>>>> Or maybe I should have asked on postgis-users :)
>>>
>>> That's a good idea. Ask on postgis-users if there's any interest
>>> about being able to install postgis with no raster support.
>>>
>>> --strk; _______________________________________________ postgis-devel
>>> mailing list postgis-devel at lists.osgeo.org
>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/postgis-devel
>>>
>>>
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>>
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