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README.rpm-dist
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Version 4.0, for the PostgreSQL 7.2-1PGDG RPMset.
Lamar Owen <lamar.owen@wgcr.org> 
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Contents:
 0.)	Quick -i note.
 1.)	Introduction, QuickStart, and credits
 2.)	PostgreSQL RPM packages and rationale
 3.)	Upgrading from an older version of PostgreSQL without losing data.
 4.)	Regression Testing
 5.)	Starting postmaster automatically on startup
 6.)	Grand Unified Configuration(GUC) File.
 7.)	Rebuilding the source RPM.
 8.)	Contrib files.
 9.)	Logging set up
10.)	Further Information Resource

QUICK '-i' NOTE
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The postmaster '-i' option is NOT used by default in the initscript shipped
with these RPMs.  Please do NOT modify the initscript to add the '-i' back
in -- it will get overwritten on the next package upgrade.  Rather, see the
section below on the Grand Unified Configuration file, which includes the
recommended way to get '-i' functionality back.

INTRODUCTION
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This document exists to explain the layout of the RPM's for PostgreSQL, to 
explain how to migrate from an older version, and to explain WHY it can be
so difficult to upgrade PostgreSQL.

This document is written to be applicable to version 7.2 of PostgreSQL, 
which is the current version of the RPM's as of this writing.

Official PostgreSQL Global Development Group RPM's will from version 7.1.2
on carry a 'PGDG' after the release number.  Other RPMset's as distributed
with Linux distributions may have a different release number and initials.

It is preferable for the distribution-specific set to be the one used, as
the PGDG set is intentionally generic.  So, if your distro has a set of RPMs,
use them in preference.  If you want to stay up-to-date on the PostgreSQL
core itself, use the PGDG generic set -- but understand that it is a 
GENERIC set.

These RPMs are designed to be LSB-compliant -- if you find this not to be the
case, please let me know by way of the pgsql-ports@postgresql.org mailing
list.

QUICKSTART
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If this is an upgrade, please go to section 3, UPGRADING.
If this is a fresh installation, simply start the postmaster using:
 /etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql start  (on RedHat and TurboLinux)

The file /var/lib/pgsql/.bash_profile is now packaged to help with the 
setting of environment variables. You may edit this file, and it won't be
overwritten during an upgrade.  However, enhancements and bugfixes may be added
to this file, so be sure to check .bash_profile.rpmnew after upgrading.

The user 'postgres' is created during installation of the server subpackage.
This user by default is UID and GID 26. The user has the default shell set to
bash, and the home directory set to /var/lib/pgsql.  This user also has no
default password -- in order to be able to su to from a non-root account
or login as 'postgres' you will need to set a password using passwd.

CREDITS
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Thomas Lockhart
Uncle George
Ryan Kirkpatrick