Installing PostgreSQL from Source


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Some Linux distributions, such as Debian Etch (4.0), do not offer PostgreSQL version 8.2 as an installable package. Before you continue, examine the software dependencies listed in ??? to ensure that your Linux distribution supports the required version of PostgreSQL.

Note

Install the application stow on your system if it is not already installed. Issue the following command as the root user:
```
apt-get install stow
```

Download, compile, and install the latest release for PostgreSQL 8.2 (which was version 8.2.12 at the time of this writing). As the root user, follow these steps:


wget http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/redir/198/h/source/v8.2.17/postgresql-8.2.17.tar.bz2
tar xzf postgresql-8.2.17.tar.gz
cd postgresql-8.2.17
./configure --with-perl --enable-integer-datetimes --with-openssl --prefix=/usr/local/stow/pgsql
make
make install
cd contrib
make
make install
cd xml2
make
make install
cd /usr/local/stow
stow pgsql

Create the new user postgres to run the PostgreSQL processes. As the root user, execute this command:
```
adduser postgres
```
Initialize the database directory and start up PostgreSQL. As the root user, follow these steps:
```
mkdir -p /usr/local/pgsql/data
chown postgres /usr/local/pgsql/data
su - postgres
initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -E UNICODE --locale=C
pg_ctl -D /usr/local/pgsql/data -l /home/postgres/logfile start
```
Note

If an error occurs during the final step above, review the path of the home directory for the postgres user. It may be /var/lib/postresql instead of /home/postres.

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