PostgreSQL 9.2.4 & Friends
Today we are finishing an update built agains the 9.2.4 tree. This release is significant for a number of reasons. First, it drops the PowerPC support from the main code branch. This cuts the disk image size roughly in half, but at this point, it just makes sense. It really is time. If you require PowerPC, let us know, and we can provide a PowerPC build for you. Why are we doing it this way? The short answer is, so that we know for certain how many downloads are for the PowerPC, and can judge the future needs better. We simply can’t imagine there are that many PowerPC Macs still in active use.
In addition, we have included the first new version of the Preference Panel in over a year. This code hasn’t seen too much work until the last couple of months. Since then we have been working on incorporating a bunch of new work on parsing and editing the configuration files into the GUI. The network configuration file (pg_hba.conf) is now editable from the GUI. The general configuration file is in progress, and should find it’s way into the next release.
Future Direction and Associated Projects
Well, it is hard to believe, but this project is about 2 weeks short of being 8 years old. In the intervening 8 years, we have learned a lot. When we started this project in 2005, it was born out of frustration with the state of database on OS X. Since then, there have been a lot of changes, and there are a number of options out there. We were not the first to tackle the problem of PostgreSQL on the Mac, nor were we the first to package it. That honor goes to Marc Liyanage who started packaging PostgreSQL in 2003. Much of our work has roots in the work that Marc did then, but we chose to move to some more OS X configurations.
Anyways, back in 2005, it was all PowerPC and a dearth of options. Today, we are working with Intel hardware, and a broad swath of options for installing PostgreSQL, including a more or less official distribution from EnterpriseDB, and another that is buried in the Mountain Lion Server package. As far as we know, we are the only ones still offering PowerPC support.
9.2.3, 9.1.8 & 9.0.12
Well, here we go. The latest code all wrapped up into a new installer. Available on both SourceForge and Druware for download. Now for the challenging parts of the equation.
A little later today there will be a couple of other posts. Hope to get some feedback from the audience regarding direction.
Updates Coming
Well, 9.2.3 and friends have hit the official release phase on PostgreSQL.org, so we are in the process of building ours. They should be published shortly.
In addition, last week we had someone ask for some tips on getting another bit of software running on the Mac with PostgreSQL. LimeSurvey, an Open Source web survey product. With that in mind, we wrote up a quick how to, and it is now available here.
9.2.2, 9.1.7 & 9.0.11 Now Available
Just a quick update to the core code. No other changes.
9.2.1, 9.1.6 & 9.0.10 Released
It only took about 24 hours longer than it should have, but the upload is now done. The downloads are now ready to roll from either SourceForge or Druware. As always SourceForge will download quite a bit faster than Druware.
26.2 Miles of Distraction
I suppose it does without saying that PostgreSQL has languished a little in the last 12 weeks. I admit that it has largely been my fault as I have been very distracted, and the time that I have put into PostgreSQL has gone into work that is simply not customer/user facing. If you are following the SVN logs, you would already know that most of the work over the last several months has gone into installer related issues. So what has had me quite so distracted? Well, last winter, my brother challenged me to run a marathon with him. This is not a challenge that can be declined :). Well, the marathon was last saturday, and though I have another in January, I now know what to expect, and what the training is. Yes, it has been very interesting getting here, but it is now done. I can finish the next one and then back off the miles to maintain a fitness level appropriate to running half marathons. If you have ever run a marathon, then you already know how incredible the feeling of accomplishment is, and the emotional and physical time suck that is training and running a marathon, particularly your first.
9.1.5, DBD:Pg & LedgerSMB
9.1.5 and it's related releases are now in the unified installer. After our trials with PowerPC support, this release DOES still include PowerPC support. As of now, our target date for dropping PowerPC support is now January 1, 2013. We think we can convince the Xserve to limp along until then. Much beyond that though, and it could turn ugly.
In addition to that, there is a couple of new document published on the website: Install DBD:Pg on OS X with PostgreSQL for Mac. In addition, we have completed our Installation Guide for LedgerSMB on OS X. In order to help raise money, we have decided to publish this as an eBook in the iBookStore. We will see how that goes, and if we decide that won't we will consider some other options. We are targeting cheap, $4.99, but have not yet gone through the submission process. We will know more in the coming weeks.
Documentation Coming
Over the last few months, we have had quite a few requests for help getting LedgerSMB set up. Last week we grabbed the LedgerSMB code and have been working on getting it set up and documenting the process. At this point it looks like the biggest hurdles are in the configuration of Apache and Perl. We hope to have the details nailed down and published later this week.
9.1.4 issue on 10.6.8
Found a minor issue in the 9.1.4 install on OS X 10.6.8. The 10.6 SDK is linking psql against libedit.3.dylib, which doesn't exist on 10.6.x. We will fix the installer in the coming days, but there is a patched up psql binary available on my dropbox should anyone need it.
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