Re: [Gnumed-devel] Mac OS easy install and ./redo-public.sh

[Karsten Hilbert]

Hi Dominique,

> Status: 
> - Gnumedlauncher.app: done and works
good

> - launch/stop database script: done and works
This is not the job of the user. If a machine needs a running
PostgreSQL server the admin (eg root) should set it up so
users can access it. It should start at boot and stop at
shutdown.

> - configure postgresql script: done but doesn't work as I wish :-( 
That only needs to be done "once" and should be done by the
database admin, not the user.

> sudo -u postgres /usr/local/bin/initdb -D /usr/local/pgsql/data  
That should only EVER be done once during the lifetime of the
PostgreSQL install.

> cd ../GnumedLauncher.app/Contents/MacOS/gnumed/gnumed/server/bootstrap 
> ./redo-public.sh 
That should only be done once during the lifetime of the
GnuMed install - which may be shorter than the PG install
lifetime.

> The problem is the ./redo-public.sh script.
No, the problem is a misunderstanding of whose job it is to
use that script when and how. IMO.

> I wish that the user doesn't has to enter the four yes and the four
> postgres password in the terminal when using the redo-public.sh shell script.
You can switch of the "yes" by setting interactive to no in
the config files.

There likely is no way around typing in the password for
postgres (is it really for postgres ? why does it think it
needs it if so ?). Unless bootstrapping is done by the proper
account (eg postgres or root).

You may be able to worm your way out of this conceptual
mismatch by using the ~/.pgpass file.

> script itself, maybe the best would be to have a small python gui just 
> to start/stop/initalize the db
No, the user has no business fiddling with whether the
database is running or not.

> The goal is to ease the process of installing gnumed on Mac OS X 10.3 
> (Panther). 
Now, that's good.

> It has been decided that the user has to create a postgres user himself 
> (needed to use postgreSQL) and that the postgreSQL database will still 
> have to be installed separately as it can be used for other 
> applications than gnumed. 
Exactly. That's the reason why the user has no business
starting/stopping PostgreSQL. Also, installation of PostgreSQL
will likely create that "postgres" (or equivalent) user both in
the system and in the database. Else it is broken.

> The user has to create a new user named postgres using the Blue Apple 
> --> System Preferences --> Users pane.  
Not really.

> To install postgres database server, the user will have to download and 
> install the Mac OS package found here 
> http://www2.entropy.ch/download/pgsql-7.4.2.pkg.tar.gz 
That *should* take care of the "postgres" system and DB user.

> Contents of the Gnumed disk image 
> 
> A) GnumedLauncher.app contains the following applications: 
> - wxPython 
> - Python add-ons (eGenix-mxbase and pyPgSQL) 
Are you sure these should be in there ? IMO they should be
installed system-wide just as PostgreSQL, no ?

> B) The GnumedLauncher.app will be distributed with two double-clickable 
> applescripts which include the necessary commands to configure and 
> start the postgresql database. 
Which still sounds useful even if it does not completely
adhere to the separation-of-duty principles outlined above.

> 2) PostgreSQL Launch script: will start/or ask to stop the postgresql 
> database. Starting the database is required for gnumed. 
rephrase: "A running database server is required for GnuMed".

BTW: in PostgreSQL there's no starting/stopping individual
databases like Oracle does

HTH,
Karsten
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