Tony Grant wrote:
>
>
> > > That can't be good for PostgreSQL, can it?
>
> Neither can not being able to do rpm -Uvh and have it work first time...
Hmmmm... When was the last time you tried?
Thanks to the 'Do No Harm' principle, it would be foolhardy to do what
has to be done to upgrade between major versions in a fully automatic
fashion. So the semiautomatic way it is now done is the current best
compromise.
Of course, the ideal would be for a new version of PostgreSQL to be able
to at least read and convert existing tables on the fly (as in when
postmaster is started, or when a backend is first brought up on the
table in question, or even a standalone migration utility that doesn't
require an old version of the backend to read the old version files),
but I wouldn't hold your breath.
Yes, the existing scheme is a little baroque -- but it's better than it
used to be.
--
Lamar Owen
WGCR Internet Radio
1 Peter 4:11