Get PostgreSQL installed as part of the distros

[Robert Graham Merkel]

Matthew Vanecek writes:
 > Robert Graham Merkel wrote:
 > > 
 > > John Hasler writes:
 > >  > Lars writes:
 > >  > > Wouldn't it be a lot more clever if we could convince the distros to make
 > >  > > a running, configured PostgreSQL installation part of the default
 > >  > > install, for the benefit of all?
 > >  >
 > >  > Debian already provides a running, configured PostgreSQL installation out
 > >  > of the package.  I see no need to make it standard, though.  Dependencies
 > >  > will pull it in when it is needed.
 > > 
 > > If the world used Debian, the decision to use an SQL backend would be
 > > considerably easier.  Unfortunately, we have to cope with
 > > distributions that are less perfect ;)
 > > 
 > > <ducks from all the other distros and *BSD users>
 > 
 > (me throwing a felt red hat at you =P)
 > 
 > > 
 > > A simple text file still has other advantages, though.
 > > 
 > 
 > Some, maybe
 > 
 > Why tie GNUCash to a specific database backend?  It wouldn't be hard to
 > a write generic SQL interface, and export the API, so that people could
 > write a driver for any transactional RDBMS.  Include a Postgresql driver
 > by default.
 > 
 > Also, I'd like to point out, it is not necessary for every installation
 > of GNUCash have a dbms backend installed with it.  Client/Server, baby,
 > rocks your world!  Thus, it's probably not necessary to try getting
 > distributions to include this or that RDBMS in their respective
 > distributions.  Say, "This is GNUCash.  To use it in this manner, you
 > must have a transactional RDBMS installed.  Drivers are available
 > <somewhere>--the default is Postgres".
 > 

This is perfectly reasonable for a business.  I still remain
unconvinced that *maintaining* a PostGres database or its equivalent is
feasible or necessary for J. Random Home User.

For the next stable release, which will be 2.0, we will be sticking 
with the new text file format (modulo a complete and better solution
materializing out of the ether) .  Beyond that, there will be some
appropriately industrial-strength solution available for those who
need it in multi-user business situations.  Whether the
industrial-strength solution becomes the *only* backend, or whether we
retain something simpler for single-user use, won't be resolved until
the multi-user backend takes shape.

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Robert Merkel	                           rgmerk@mira.net

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