[postgis-devel] PostGIS installer under Vista

[Mark Cave-Ayland]

Waddell, Dave FOR:EX wrote:

Hi Dave,

> We are getting set to migrate 20 PostgreSQL/PostGIS users from XP to 
> Vista.  In order to install any software on gov't vista computers we 
> have to build "approved packages" to do the install.  This sometimes 
> means changing installation settings and adapting an installion to get 
> around admin issues that we can't control.
> 
> I'm having trouble installing PostGIS 1.3.5 on a locked down BC gov't 
> vista computer (restricted admin privileges). 

Note that 1.3.5 has a buggy pgsql2shp under Vista (see Trac#88) - you 
may wish to grab the latest 1.3.6 instead.

> The installer fails at the create template database step, but seems to 
> have copied files to:
>         C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\bin   etc.
> 
> I'm running the postgis_1_3_5_pg83.exe (as downloaded from the 
> application stack builder) with only PostGIS selected for install.
> 
> The original install of PostgreSQL 8.3 has to be run as administrator 
> and can't initialize the data directory (initdb), so I'm trying to just 
> get the software (both PostgreSQl and PostGIS) installed and then let a 
> local user create the data directory and initialize the databases.

I'm not sure I understand why the administrator user can't run initdb - 
do you know exactly what privileges have been revoked from the admin user?

> In looking at the failed installation, it seems that a number of files 
> have been copied over to the PostgreSQL directory.  Does the installer 
> do anything "special" besides copying files to:
> 
>        
>          C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\bin
>                  some.dlls
>          C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\jdbc
>                  some.jar
>          C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\lib
>                  some.dlls
>          C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\share\contrib
>                  some.sqls
>          C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\share\contrib\postgis
>                  proj
>                  topology
>                  utils
> 
>  Then create registry entries for
>          Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostGIS\1.3.5\PostgreSQl8.3
>                  (default)
>                  Version
> 
> 
> In other words can I simply copy the PostGis files over by hand (to an 
> existing PostgreSQL install) and then add the 2 registry entries.
> 
> My other option is to modify the installer to prevent it from trying to 
> create the template database.

I can't remember the exact mechanics of the installer, however the 
source is freely available from the Refractions site and the 
Stackbuilder pgfoundry page depending upon which version you are using. 
I've tried to make it reasonably well commented so I hope it should be 
easy to follow.

> It would be nice to have a checkbox in the installer that lets you delay 
> the cration of the template database.

This should be fairly easy to do with the installer source. Note that 
you can always open the installer directly with 7-Zip and extract all 
the files you need; it's then just a case of setting the relevant 
registry keys by referring to the installer source as you mention.


HTH,

Mark.

-- 
Mark Cave-Ayland - Senior Technical Architect
PostgreSQL - PostGIS
Sirius Corporation plc - control through freedom
http://www.siriusit.co.uk
t: +44 870 608 0063