Re: Installation location of Perl and Python modules

Is it out of the question to do #3 (or #2), and offer an alternate
install target to copy to #1?

If I'm actively using postgres with a scripting language, I'll want
it installed in the standard system installation of that language.
This would require a separate install step (or an additional .rpm
or .deb).

If, I'm not, and perhaps trying to careful control the standard system
install of that language, I won't want it installed there.

So I'd argue that placing it completely within the postgres environment,
and then offering a post-install step to transfer it to the installing
person's choice of location (generally the standard language location)
would be an appropriate solution.

I would expect that the install of one package not ding the install of
another.  I would like the above.  I would settle for #3.

-Brad McLean

* Peter Eisentraut (peter_e@gmx.net) [010911 13:58]:
> I need a user poll regarding a PostgreSQL 7.2 development issue.  In what
> follows I only speak of Perl, but you may substitute Python almost
> everywhere.
>
> There have been complaints that the Perl module automatically installs
> itself under /usr/lib/perl5, even if the installer is not the root user
> and even if he specified a different --prefix.  It would naturally be
> beneficial if users without root access, or those that don't want to
> overwrite their system installation, had the chance to install the Perl
> module somewhere, somehow.
>
> The question is which of the following installation schemes would be
> useful to provide, and which one should be the default.
>
> 1. Install it under /usr/lib/perl5 (or whatever the default location).
>
> 2. Install it under $prefix/lib/perl5, where $prefix is what is chosen for
>    PostgreSQL.  This would improve the likelyhood of write access to the
>    location, give you a perlish layout, and (usually) fall back to the
>    default if you specify --prefix=/usr.  It might also be rather compliant
>    to some file system standard.
>
> 3. Install it under $prefix/lib/postgresql.  This would guarantee
>    write access, and enhance the consistency with the GNU-style configure
>    process.  It could also be compliant to some file system standard.
>
> 4. Provide an option to freely choose the location.  But keep in mind that
>    "free to choose" also means "inconsistent" and "easy to get lost".
>
> Anything but #1 will require setting the environment variable PERLLIB or
> use -I flags or some such.  This is not inconsistent with the requirement
> to set PATH, MANPATH, etc., at least if Perl were to search something in
> /usr/local by default.
>
> Currently, we have #1 as the default and incomplete, hidden support for
> #3.  If we were to start in a green field we might make #2 the default
> with an option for #4.
>
> The questions are, "what would users expect" and "what would users like"?