Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL
- Last updated: Sat Jan 29 21:05:17 EST 2005
+ Last updated: Sat Jan 29 21:21:25 EST 2005
Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (pgman@candle.pha.pa.us)
1.1) What is PostgreSQL? How is it pronounced?
1.2) What is the copyright on PostgreSQL?
- 1.3) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run on?
- 1.4) What non-Unix ports are available?
- 1.5) Where can I get PostgreSQL?
- 1.6) Where can I get support?
- 1.7) What is the latest release?
- 1.8) What documentation is available?
- 1.9) How do I find out about known bugs or missing features?
- 1.10) How can I learn SQL?
- 1.11) Is PostgreSQL Y2K compliant?
- 1.12) How do I join the development team?
- 1.13) How do I submit a bug report?
- 1.14) How does PostgreSQL compare to other DBMSs?
- 1.15) How can I financially assist PostgreSQL?
+ 1.3) What platforms does PostgreSQL support?
+ 1.4) Where can I get PostgreSQL?
+ 1.5) Where can I get support?
+ 1.6) What is the latest release?
+ 1.7) What documentation is available?
+ 1.8) How do I find out about known bugs or missing features?
+ 1.9) How can I learn SQL?
+ 1.10) How do I join the development team?
+ 1.11) How do I submit a bug report?
+ 1.12) How does PostgreSQL compare to other DBMSs?
+ 1.13) How can I financially assist PostgreSQL?
User Client Questions
no restrictions on how the source code may be used. We like it and
have no intention of changing it.
- 1.3) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run on?
+ 1.3) What platforms does PostgreSQL support?
In general, any modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to run
PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at the
time of release are listed in the installation instructions.
- 1.4) What non-Unix ports are available?
-
Starting with version 8.0, PostgreSQL now runs natively on Microsoft
Windows NT-based operating systems like Win2000, WinXP, and Win2003. A
prepackaged installer is available at
http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-search?sh=1&button=Search&key=postgre
SQL&stype=all&sort=type&dir=%2F.
- 1.5) Where can I get PostgreSQL?
+ 1.4) Where can I get PostgreSQL?
The primary anonymous ftp site for PostgreSQL is
ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub. For mirror sites, see our main web site.
- 1.6) Where can I get support?
+ 1.5) Where can I get support?
The main mailing list is: pgsql-general@PostgreSQL.org. It is
available for discussion of matters pertaining to PostgreSQL. To
A list of commercial support companies is available at
http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php.
- 1.7) What is the latest release?
+ 1.6) What is the latest release?
The latest release of PostgreSQL is version 8.0.0.
We plan to have major releases every six to eight months.
- 1.8) What documentation is available?
+ 1.7) What documentation is available?
Several manuals, manual pages, and some small test examples are
included in the distribution. See the /doc directory. You can also
Our web site contains even more documentation.
- 1.9) How do I find out about known bugs or missing features?
+ 1.8) How do I find out about known bugs or missing features?
PostgreSQL supports an extended subset of SQL-92. See our TODO list
for known bugs, missing features, and future plans.
- 1.10) How can I learn SQL?
+ 1.9) How can I learn SQL?
The PostgreSQL book at http://www.PostgreSQL.org/docs/awbook.html
teaches SQL. There is another PostgreSQL book at
et al., Addison-Wesley. Others like The Complete Reference SQL, Groff
et al., McGraw-Hill.
- 1.11) Is PostgreSQL Y2K compliant?
-
- Yes, we easily handle dates past the year 2000 AD, and before 2000 BC.
-
- 1.12) How do I join the development team?
+ 1.10) How do I join the development team?
First, download the latest source and read the PostgreSQL Developers
documentation on our web site, or in the distribution. Second,
and we had confidence that patches they committed were of high
quality.
- 1.13) How do I submit a bug report?
+ 1.11) How do I submit a bug report?
Visit the PostgreSQL bug form at
http://www.postgresql.org/support/submitbug.
Also check out our ftp site ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub to see if
there is a more recent PostgreSQL version or patches.
- 1.14) How does PostgreSQL compare to other DBMSs?
+ 1.12) How does PostgreSQL compare to other DBMSs?
There are several ways of measuring software: features, performance,
reliability, support, and price.
community, manuals, and the source code often make PostgreSQL
support superior to other DBMSs. There is commercial
per-incident support available for those who need it. (See FAQ
- section 1.6.)
+ section 1.5.)
Price
We are free for all use, both commercial and non-commercial.
You can add our code to your product with no limitations,
except those outlined in our BSD-style license stated above.
- 1.15) How can I financially assist PostgreSQL?
+ 1.13) How can I financially assist PostgreSQL?
PostgreSQL has had a first-class infrastructure since we started in
1996. This is all thanks to Marc Fournier, who has created and managed
alink="#0000ff">
<H1>Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for PostgreSQL</H1>
- <P>Last updated: Sat Jan 29 21:05:17 EST 2005</P>
+ <P>Last updated: Sat Jan 29 21:21:25 EST 2005</P>
<P>Current maintainer: Bruce Momjian (<A href=
"mailto:pgman@candle.pha.pa.us">pgman@candle.pha.pa.us</A>)<BR>
<H2 align="center">General Questions</H2>
<A href="#1.1">1.1</A>) What is PostgreSQL? How is it pronounced?<BR>
<A href="#1.2">1.2</A>) What is the copyright on PostgreSQL?<BR>
- <A href="#1.3">1.3</A>) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run
- on?<BR>
- <A href="#1.4">1.4</A>) What non-Unix ports are available?<BR>
- <A href="#1.5">1.5</A>) Where can I get PostgreSQL?<BR>
- <A href="#1.6">1.6</A>) Where can I get support?<BR>
- <A href="#1.7">1.7</A>) What is the latest release?<BR>
- <A href="#1.8">1.8</A>) What documentation is available?<BR>
- <A href="#1.9">1.9</A>) How do I find out about known bugs or
+ <A href="#1.3">1.3</A>) What platforms does PostgreSQL support?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.4">1.4</A>) Where can I get PostgreSQL?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.5">1.5</A>) Where can I get support?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.6">1.6</A>) What is the latest release?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.7">1.7</A>) What documentation is available?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.8">1.8</A>) How do I find out about known bugs or
missing features?<BR>
- <A href="#1.10">1.10</A>) How can I learn <SMALL>SQL</SMALL>?<BR>
- <A href="#1.11">1.11</A>) Is PostgreSQL Y2K compliant?<BR>
- <A href="#1.12">1.12</A>) How do I join the development team?<BR>
- <A href="#1.13">1.13</A>) How do I submit a bug report?<BR>
- <A href="#1.14">1.14</A>) How does PostgreSQL compare to other
+ <A href="#1.9">1.9</A>) How can I learn <SMALL>SQL</SMALL>?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.10">1.10</A>) How do I join the development team?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.11">1.11</A>) How do I submit a bug report?<BR>
+ <A href="#1.12">1.12</A>) How does PostgreSQL compare to other
<SMALL>DBMS</SMALL>s?<BR>
- <A href="#1.15">1.15</A>) How can I financially assist
+ <A href="#1.13">1.13</A>) How can I financially assist
PostgreSQL?<BR>
It has no restrictions on how the source code may be used. We like
it and have no intention of changing it.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.3">1.3</A>) What Unix platforms does PostgreSQL run
- on?</H4>
+ <H4><A name="1.3">1.3</A>) What platforms does PostgreSQL support?</H4>
<P>In general, any modern Unix-compatible platform should be able to
run PostgreSQL. The platforms that had received explicit testing at
the time of release are listed in the installation
instructions.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.4">1.4</A>) What non-Unix ports are available?</H4>
-
<P>Starting with version 8.0, PostgreSQL now runs natively on
Microsoft Windows NT-based operating systems like Win2000, WinXP,
and Win2003. A prepackaged installer is available at <a href=
"http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-search?sh=1&button=Search&key=postgreSQL&stype=all&sort=type&dir=%2F">
http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-search?sh=1&button=Search&key=postgreSQL&stype=all&sort=type&dir=%2F</a>.</p>
- <H4><A name="1.5">1.5</A>) Where can I get PostgreSQL?</H4>
+ <H4><A name="1.4">1.4</A>) Where can I get PostgreSQL?</H4>
<P>The primary anonymous ftp site for PostgreSQL is <A href=
"ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub">ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub</A>.
For mirror sites, see our main web site.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.6">1.6</A>) Where can I get support?</H4>
+ <H4><A name="1.5">1.5</A>) Where can I get support?</H4>
<P>The main mailing list is: <A href=
"mailto:pgsql-general@PostgreSQL.org">pgsql-general@PostgreSQL.org</A>.
<P>A list of commercial support companies is available at <A href=
"http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php">http://techdocs.postgresql.org/companies.php</A>.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.7">1.7</A>) What is the latest release?</H4>
+ <H4><A name="1.6">1.6</A>) What is the latest release?</H4>
<P>The latest release of PostgreSQL is version 8.0.0.</P>
<P>We plan to have major releases every six to eight months.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.8">1.8</A>) What documentation is available?</H4>
+ <H4><A name="1.7">1.7</A>) What documentation is available?</H4>
<P>Several manuals, manual pages, and some small test examples are
included in the distribution. See the <I>/doc</I> directory. You
<P>Our web site contains even more documentation.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.9">1.9</A>) How do I find out about known bugs or
+ <H4><A name="1.8">1.8</A>) How do I find out about known bugs or
missing features?</H4>
<P>PostgreSQL supports an extended subset of <SMALL>SQL</SMALL>-92.
See our <A href="http://developer.PostgreSQL.org/todo.php">TODO</A>
list for known bugs, missing features, and future plans.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.10">1.10</A>) How can I learn
+ <H4><A name="1.9">1.9</A>) How can I learn
<SMALL>SQL</SMALL>?</H4>
<P>The PostgreSQL book at <A href=
Bowman, Judith S., et al., Addison-Wesley. Others like <I>The
Complete Reference SQL</I>, Groff et al., McGraw-Hill.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.11">1.11</A>) Is PostgreSQL Y2K compliant?</H4>
-
- <P>Yes, we easily handle dates past the year 2000 AD, and before
- 2000 BC.</P>
-
- <H4><A name="1.12">1.12</A>) How do I join the development
+ <H4><A name="1.10">1.10</A>) How do I join the development
team?</H4>
<P>First, download the latest source and read the PostgreSQL
committers to keep up, and we had confidence that patches they
committed were of high quality.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.13">1.13</A>) How do I submit a bug report?</H4>
+ <H4><A name="1.11">1.11</A>) How do I submit a bug report?</H4>
<P>Visit the PostgreSQL bug form at <A href=
"http://www.postgresql.org/support/submitbug">
"ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub">ftp://ftp.PostgreSQL.org/pub</A> to
see if there is a more recent PostgreSQL version or patches.</P>
- <H4><A name="1.14">1.14</A>) How does PostgreSQL compare to other
+ <H4><A name="1.12">1.12</A>) How does PostgreSQL compare to other
<SMALL>DBMS</SMALL>s?</H4>
<P>There are several ways of measuring software: features,
community, manuals, and the source code often make PostgreSQL
support superior to other <SMALL>DBMS</SMALL>s. There is
commercial per-incident support available for those who need it.
- (See <A href="#1.6">FAQ section 1.6</A>.)<BR>
+ (See <A href="#1.5">FAQ section 1.5</A>.)<BR>
<BR>
</DD>
</DD>
</DL>
- <H4><A name="1.15">1.15</A>) How can I financially assist
+ <H4><A name="1.13">1.13</A>) How can I financially assist
PostgreSQL?</H4>
<P>PostgreSQL has had a first-class infrastructure since we started
projects / postgresql.git / commitdiff