Bjorn Munch wrote: > On 06/08 23.31, Sriram Natarajan wrote: > >> That was my thinking too. For example, user does not have to do >> /usr/mysql/5.1/bin in the PATH so that they can run mysqladmin from the >> command line. The same can apply for Postgres or PHP or any other >> component. But, I am missing a common or conventional user policy here. >> Hence, initiated this thread. >> > > When PostgreSQL was first integrated in Solaris as version 8.1, it was > (after some back-and-forth discussions) decided to put the binaries > directly under /usr/bin despite some of them having rather generic > names like 'createuser'. > > This has later been regarded by most (me included) as a Big > Mistake. When 8.2 and later 8.3 were integrated, they could not > replace 8.1 due to backwards compatibility issues, so had to go > elsewhere. Then it's unfortunate that the oldest version of PostgreSQL > is the one found in the default PATH (and MANPATH). > > Yes, I too was surprised when I first saw that. If Postgres 8.1 had indeed used symbolic links to link some of the commonly used binaries to /usr/bin, then they could have probably continued the behavior with 8.2 or 8.3 as well.
On the whole, I sense a generic reluctance with symbolic links in /usr/bin pointing to the component versions. I guess, my newbie attitude or lack of getting burned by using it - is probably still motivating me to pursue in this regard. Having said all of these - it is very important for the whole stack within OpenSolaris to give a consistent user experience. So, if the consensus - as it currently seems to be - that users are expected to set their PATH to the appropriate component versions - then that is what every one of us should be going. IMO, this is unfortunate and less user friendly - especially for customers moving from other distributions where they expect most of the components to reside under /usr/bin > On our PostgreSQL test machines in the local lab we have actually gone > to the step of *removing* the 8.1 packages. I did so again today after > they were upgraded to snv_95. > > So, can we stop bundling Postgres 8.1 within OpenSolaris and move to the concept of having symbolic links ? - Sriram
