[postgis-devel] PostGIS installer under Vista

[Waddell, Dave FOR:EX]

Thanks Mark.

I looked at the 1.3.6 installer and it seems easy to just comment out
the create template database section.

As to why admin can't run initdb I don't know.  I feel kind of like the
blind man being introduced to the elephant.  In this case I'm provided
with a new OS and a pseudo-admin account.  I'm not allowed any tools, so
when things fail I have to guess at why or figure a way around them.
I'm not going to waste too much more time on this since we are probably
the only ones that will run into this "locked down" situation.  I'll
just modify the installer and then let the local user intialize the
database and create the templates.



-----Original Message-----
From: postgis-devel-bounces at postgis.refractions.net
[mailto:postgis-devel-bounces at postgis.refractions.net] On Behalf Of Mark
Cave-Ayland
Sent: Fri, May 22, 2009 2:51 AM
To: PostGIS Development Discussion
Subject: Re: [postgis-devel] PostGIS installer under Vista

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do you know exactly what privileges have been revoked from the admin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
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