Re: problem installing postgresql new packages.
adavis@netpci.com wrote:
>I haven't done anything with the old postgresql, but I started the (poorly
>typeset) tutorial in the Linux Journal. Now I figure I might as well
>install the new version.
>
>libpgsql won't install. I get an error that the preinstall script exits
>with an error of, let's see:
>
>maan:~# dpkg -i libpgsql*
>Selecting previously deselected package libpgsql.
>(Reading database ... 42934 files and directories currently installed.)
>Unpacking libpgsql (from libpgsql_6.3-2.deb) ...
>
>dpkg: error processing libpgsql_6.3-2.deb (--install):
> subprocess pre-installation script returned error exit status 1
> Errors were encountered while processing:
> libpgsql_6.3-2.deb
My guess is that the data directory is still there but with no PG_VERSION
file in it, so that
installed=`cat ${PGDATA}/PG_VERSION 2>/dev/null`
gives a return code of 1. The `set -e' at the top of the script would
then make it abort. I'm fixing this in 6.3-3. In the meantime, since
you never used the old postgresql, you won't have any data, so just delete
the $PGDATA directory and reinstall. You may need to recreate $PGDATA
afterwards.
>
>
>This was AFTER I removed the old libpgsql and libpgjava that depended upon
>it. I was told the first time through (attempting to install basically all
>the new packages) by dpkg that my old data file had been moved, and old
>executables too, I think.
>
>I have a comment about this.
>
>Why do these complicated debian packages go around removing and moving
>things, and unpacking, before finding out whether the install will work?
>Now I don't even know if the system will be workable until this bug is
>solved. Happens all the time.
The idea of a distribution is to minimise the problems users will have in
installing software. (Sorry!)
In the case of postgresql, there is a change in the format of the database
between 6.2.1 and 6.3, and the old executables are needed to read the old
database. So I have to go through some fairly agonizing contortions to
make sure that the naive user who upgrades a whole bunch of stuff in one
go is not left with a database that cannot be read, which would be the
case if I simply overwrote the old programs with the new.
>
>In fairness, debian has served well for two and a half t0 three years,
>without very many serious problems, and I feel confident that when I install
>a package the details will be taken care of.
>
>This is less and less the case, for example with the emacs packages.
I can't speak for the emacs maintainers, but I do want to point out that
unstable (now, just, frozen) is for testing and debugging prior to becoming
the new stable. Therefore, while I try to make sure that there aren't bugs,
I am expecting people to find ones that I've missed, so that I can fix
them before the package becomes part of the new stable distribution.
Thank you for assisting in this process!
--
Oliver Elphick Oliver.Elphick@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
PGP key from public servers; key ID 32B8FAA1
--
Oliver Elphick Oliver.Elphick@lfix.co.uk
Isle of Wight http://www.lfix.co.uk/oliver
PGP key from public servers; key ID 32B8FAA1
--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-request@lists.debian.org
with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org
Reply to: