Re: replacing Access/ Approach etc

Zenaan Harkness wrote:
> Hi, a friend of mine on Windows, is attempting to convert to using
> PostgreSQL (and of course, I'm helping him).
>
> The installation gave an option to run as an application, rather than as
> a service.
>
> Turns out, my friends login account has Admin privs, and postgres.exe
> will not run in an account with admin privs.

Correct. Won't run as root on *nix either.

> He wants to keep the "lightweight feel" and frankly I'd like that on my
> Ubuntu box as well - to just fire up a local instance of postgresql
> pointing at a particular "data" directory, and listing (on loopback/
> localhost only) on an instance-specific port (point the exe at a local
> .conf file).
>
> Why is this not so intuitive/ easy to set up?

Apart from the windows-admin issue, what problems have you had?

> Is it useful goal to consider running multiple instances of pg, ala
> microsoft access, lotus approach, etc?

Most of the developers do. I do too. Usually different versions in
different directories and on different ports. Nothing to stop you having
multiple copies of the same version though.

Since ubuntu is debian-based, apt should help you do all this. If you've
got postgresql-common installed try "man pg_wrapper" as a start point.

> Install as service has a "feel" of heavywieght. I (and my friend) want
> to have per-project local data directories, with all db meta data etc
> all local to that directory and project. This way, a simple backup of
> the entire project can be made (pg data, documentation, web site files,
> etc, etc). Does this make sense?

PostgreSQL *is* heavier than MS-Access. What you want to do should work
fine though. Remember to stop PG before taking your backups though.

> Is there a way to achieve this, on windows?
> Is there a way to achieve this, on gnu/linux?

What problems have you had?

--
   Richard Huxton
   Archonet Ltd