%myvars; ]> by Vinod Kurup Skip this section if you will run only Oracle. OpenACS &version; will run with PostgreSQL 7.2.x, 7.3.2, 7.3.3, and 7.3.4. 7.3.4 is the recommended version of PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL 7.4 has been verified. If you are running Mac OS X prior to 10.3, you should be able to install and use PostGreSQL 7.2.x or 7.3.x. Mac OS X 10.3 requires PostGreSQL 7.4. Debian users, especially Debian stable users, should install PostGreSQL from source as detailed below. Debian unstable users: the following process has been known to work: apt-get install postgresql postgresql-dev postgresql-doc ln -s /usr/include/postgresql/ /usr/include/pgsql ln -s /var/lib/postgres /usr/local/pgsql ln -s /usr/include/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql/include su postgres -c "/usr/lib/postgresql/bin/createlang plpgsql template1" and proceed to or to the next section. Red Hat users: If you install PostgreSQL 7.3.2 from the Red Hat 9 RPM, you can skip a few steps. These shell commands add some links for compatibility with the directories from a source-based install; start the service; create a new group for web service users, and modify the postgres user's environment (more information): [root root]# ln -s /usr/lib/pgsql/ /var/lib/pgsql/lib [root root]# ln -s /var/lib/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql [root root]# ln -s /etc/init.d/postgresql /etc/init.d/postgres [root root]# ln -s /usr/bin /usr/local/pgsql/bin [root root]# service postgresql start Initializing database: [ OK ] Starting postgresql service: [ OK ] [root root]# echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile [root root]# echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile [root root]# groupadd web [root root]# su - postgres -bash-2.05b$ ln -s /usr/lib/pgsql/ /var/lib/pgsql/lib ln -s /var/lib/pgsql /usr/local/pgsql ln -s /usr/bin /usr/local/pgsql/bin service postgresql start echo "export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/pgsql/lib" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile echo "export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin" >> ~postgres/.bash_profile groupadd web su - postgres ... and then skip to . Something similar may work for other binary packages as well. If you have not downloaded the postgresql tarball to /tmp/postgresql-7.3.4.tar.gz, get it. [root root]# cd /usr/local/src [root src]# tar xzf /tmp/postgresql-7.3.4.tar.gz [root src]# cd /usr/local/src tar xzf /tmp/postgresql-7.3.4.tar.gz Create a user and group (if you haven't done so before) for PostgreSQL. This is the account that PostgreSQL will run as since it will not run as root. Since nobody will log in directly as that user, we'll leave the password blank. [root src]# groupadd web [root src]# useradd -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql postgres [root src]# mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql [root src]# chown -R postgres.web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4 [root src]# chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql [root src]# groupadd web useradd -g web -d /usr/local/pgsql postgres mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql chown -R postgres.web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4 chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql Mac OS X: Do instead: sudo niutil -create / /groups/web sudo niutil - list / /groups The second command returns a list of groups. The last entry should include the gid of the group web, which you will need in the next sequence: sudo niutil -create / /users/postgres sudo niutil -createprop / /users/postgres gid web's gid_number sudo niutil -createprop / /users/postgres home /usr/local/pgsql sudo niutil -createprop / /users/postgres shell /bin/bash mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql chown -R postgres:web /usr/local/pgsql /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.4 chmod 750 /usr/local/pgsql They are necessary for the executable to find its supporting libraries. Put the following lines into the postgres user's environment. [root src]# su - postgres [postgres ~] emacs ~postgres/.bashrc Paste these lines into .bashrc: export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/bin export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:/usr/local/pgsql/lib Test this by logging in as postgres and checking the paths; you should see /usr/local/pgsql/bin [root src]# su - postgres [postgres pgsql]$ env | grep PATH LD_LIBRARY_PATH=:/usr/local/pgsql/lib PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:/root/bin:/usr/local/pgsql/bin:/usr/local/pgsql/bin [postgres pgsql]$ exit Change to the postgres user and run ./configure to set the compilation options automatically. This is the point at which you can configure PostgreSQL in various ways. For example, if you want to enable UnicodeUnicodein PostgreSQL support, add the flags --enable-locale and --enable-multibyte. If you want to see what the other possibilities are, run ./configure --help. [root src]# su - postgres [postgres pgsql]$ cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4 [postgres postgresql-7.3.4]$ ./configure creating cache ./config.cache checking host system type... i686-pc-linux-gnu (many lines omitted> linking ./src/makefiles/Makefile.linux to src/Makefile.port linking ./src/backend/port/tas/dummy.s to src/backend/port/tas.s [postgres postgresql-7.3.4]$ make all make -C doc all make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/doc' (many lines omitted) make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/src' All of PostgreSQL successfully made. Ready to install. [postgres postgresql-7.3.4]$ make install make -C doc install make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4/doc' (many lines omitted) Thank you for choosing PostgreSQL, the most advanced open source database engine. su - postgres cd /usr/local/src/postgresql-7.3.4 ./configure make all make install The initdb command initializes the database. pg_ctl is used to start up PostgreSQL. [postgres tsearch]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "postgres". This user must also own the server process. (17 lines omitted) or /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l logfile start [postgres tsearch]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log start postmaster successfully started [postgres tsearch]$ /usr/local/pgsql/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data /usr/local/pgsql/bin/pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log start PostgreSQL errors will be logged in /usr/local/pgsql/data/server.log Set up plpgsq and allow your user to have access. Plpgsql is a PL/SQL-like language. We add it to template1, which is the template from which all new databases are created. We can verify that it was created with the createlang command in list mode. [postgres pgsql]$ createlang plpgsql template1 [postgres pgsql]$ createlang -l template1 Procedural languages Name | Trusted? ---------+---------- plpgsql | t (1 row) [postgres pgsql]$ createlang plpgsql template1 createlang -l template1 Create a database and try some simple commands. The output should be as shown. [postgres pgsql]$ createdb mytestdb CREATE DATABASE [postgres pgsql]$ psql mytestdb Welcome to psql, the PostgreSQL interactive terminal. Type: \copyright for distribution terms \h for help with SQL commands \? for help on internal slash commands \g or terminate with semicolon to execute query \q to quit mytestdb=# select current_timestamp; timestamptz ------------------------------- 2003-03-07 22:18:29.185413-08 (1 row) mytestdb=# create function test1() returns integer as 'begin return 1; end;' language 'plpgsql'; CREATE mytestdb=# select test1(); test1 ------- 1 (1 row) mytestdb=# \q [postgres pgsql]$ dropdb mytestdb DROP DATABASE [postgres pgsql]$ exit logout [root src]# Set PostgreSQL to start on boot. First, we copy the postgresql.txt init script, which automates startup and shutdown, to the distribution-specific init.d directory. Then we verify that it works. Then we automate it by setting up a bunch of symlinks that ensure that, when the operating system changes runlevels, postgresql goes to the appropriate state. Red Hat and Debian and SuSE each work a little differently. Red Hat RPM: The init script is already installed; just turn it on for the appropriate run levels. [root root]# chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on [root root]# Red Hat from source: [root src]# cp /tmp/&tarballpath;/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql [root src]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql [root src]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql [root src]# cp /tmp/&tarballpath;/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql Test the script. [root root]# service postgresql stop Stopping PostgreSQL: ok [root root]# If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then use the following command to make sure that the script is run appropriately at boot and shutdown. And turn it back on because we'll use it later. [root root]# chkconfig --add postgresql [root root]# chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on [root root]# chkconfig --list postgresql postgresql 0:off 1:off 2:on 3:on 4:on 5:on 6:off [root root]# service postgresql start Starting PostgreSQL: ok [root root]# chkconfig --add postgresql chkconfig --level 345 postgresql on chkconfig --list postgresql service postgresql start Debian: [root ~]# cp /tmp/&tarballpath;/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql [root ~]# chown root.root /etc/init.d/postgresql [root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/init.d/postgresql [root ~]# cp /tmp/&tarballpath;/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/init.d/postgresql chown root.root /etc/init.d/postgresql chmod 755 /etc/init.d/postgresql Test the script [root ~]# /etc/init.d/postgresql stop Stopping PostgreSQL: ok [root ~]# If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then use the following command to make sure that the script is run appropriately at boot and shutdown. [root ~]# update-rc.d postgresql defaults Adding system startup for /etc/init.d/postgresql ... /etc/rc0.d/K20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql /etc/rc1.d/K20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql /etc/rc6.d/K20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql /etc/rc2.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql /etc/rc3.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql /etc/rc4.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql /etc/rc5.d/S20postgresql -> ../init.d/postgresql [root ~]# /etc/init.d/postgresql start Starting PostgreSQL: ok [root ~]# SuSE: I have received reports that SuSE 8.0 is different from previous versions. Instead of installing the boot scripts in /etc/rc.d/init.d/, they should be placed in /etc/init.d/. If you're using SuSE 8.0, delete the rc.d/ part in each of the following commands. [root ~]# cp /tmp/&tarballpath;/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/postgresql.txt /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql [root ~]# chown root.root /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql [root ~]# chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql Test the script. [root ~]# /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql stop Stopping PostgreSQL: ok If PostgreSQL successfully stopped, then use the following command to make sure that the script is run appropriately at boot and shutdown. [root ~]# cd /etc/rc.d/init.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql K20postgresql root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# ln -s /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql S20postgresql root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc2.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc2.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc3.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc3.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc4.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc4.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp K20postgresql rc5.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# cp S20postgresql rc5.d root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# rm K20postgresql root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# rm S20postgresql root:/etc/rc.d/init.d# Test configuration. root:/etc/rc.d/init.d # cd root:~ # /etc/rc.d/init.d/rc2.d/S20postgresql start Starting PostgreSQL: ok root:~ # Mac OS X: Install the startup script: cd /Library/StartupItems/ tar xfz /var/lib/aolserver/service0/packages/acs-core-docs/www/files/osx-postgres-startup-item.tgz From now on, PostgreSQL should start automatically each time you boot up and it should shutdown gracefully each time you shut down. (Note: Debian defaults to starting all services on runlevels 2-5. Red Hat defaults to starting services on 3-5. So, on Red Hat, PostgreSQL won't start on runlevel 2 unless you alter the above commands a little. This usually isn't a problem as Red Hat defaults to runlevel 3) The default values for PostgreSQL are very conservative; we can safely change some of them and improve performance. Change the kernel parameter for maximum shared memory segment size to 128Mb: [root root]# echo 134217728 >/proc/sys/kernel/shmmax [root root]# Make that change permanent by editing /etc/sysctl.conf to add these lines at the end: # increase shared memory limit for postgres kernel.shmmax = 134217728 Edit the PostgreSQL config file, /usr/local/pgsql/data/postgresql.conf, to use more memory. These values should improve performance in most cases. (more information) # Shared Memory Size # shared_buffers = 15200 # 2*max_connections, min 16 # Non-shared Memory Sizes # sort_mem = 32168 # min 32 # Write-ahead log (WAL) # checkpoint_segments = 3 # in logfile segments (16MB each), min 1 Restart postgres (service postgresql restart) so that the changes take effect. Official PostgreSQL Docs Migrating from 7.0 to 7.1 techdocs.postgresql.org PostgreSQL Performance Tuning ($Id: postgres.xml,v 1.15.2.9 2004/01/30 14:29:00 joela Exp $)