Install multiple PostgreSQL versions with different PostGIS plugin versions on Ubuntu 12.04

Question

I have a server with Ubuntu 12.04.5 (precise) which runs two different PostgreSQL versions (8.3 & 9.1) on two different ports (5432 & 5433). I've installed them from the default package sources. Everything runs nice and clean.

The 8.3 Setup uses the PostGIS Plugin (Version 1.5.3-2). For the 9.1 setup I would like to install PostGIS in a Version > 2.0. I fear, that I'll break the (important) running 8.3 setup when I manually install a new PostGIS version. The prefix parameter of the ./configure-script seems to be broken and I don't know how to prevent the new version from overwriting the old one.

Is there a safe way to enable the new extension version in the 9.1 setup?

Please let me know, if you need further information about the system to answer this.

Answer 1

I have a Ubuntu 16.04 running with postgreSQL server 9.1, 9.3 and 9.5, where 9.5 has postgis 2.2 installed (via package postgresql-9.5-postgis-2.2). In normal server installation, there is /usr/bin/pg_config, a script which first looks for pg_config in /usr/lib/postgresql/*/bin/ (and, if existing, uses the latest version), and if there is none uses /usr/bin/pg_config.libpq-devwhich is part of the client developer installation. You can just try running pg_configto see if it finds a version, and where it points to.

I downloaded postgis-2.2.4.tar.gz, unpacked and tried to run ./configure. This ended up with an error message, saying I had to install the server developer package. So I did sudo apt-get install postgresql-server-dev-9.5 (for 9.5; you should install 9.1, see http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/postgresql-server-dev-9.1). This did provide /usr/lib/postgresql/9.5/bin/pg_config, and ./configure did succeed.

grep PGSQL config.log gave

| #define PGSQL_LOCALEDIR "/usr/share/locale"
| #define POSTGIS_PGSQL_VERSION 95
| #define PGSQL_LOCALEDIR "/usr/share/locale"
| #define POSTGIS_PGSQL_VERSION 95
| #define PGSQL_LOCALEDIR "/usr/share/locale"
| #define POSTGIS_PGSQL_VERSION 95
| #define PGSQL_LOCALEDIR "/usr/share/locale"
| #define POSTGIS_PGSQL_VERSION 95
PGSQL_BE_CPPFLAGS='-I/usr/include/postgresql/9.5/server'
PGSQL_BINDIR='/usr/lib/postgresql/9.5/bin'
PGSQL_DOCDIR='/usr/share/doc/postgresql-doc-9.5'
PGSQL_FE_CPPFLAGS='-I/usr/include/postgresql'
PGSQL_FE_LDFLAGS='-L/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu -lpq'
PGSQL_MANDIR='/usr/share/postgresql/9.5/man'
PGSQL_SHAREDIR='/usr/share/postgresql/9.5'
POSTGIS_PGSQL_VERSION='95'
#define PGSQL_LOCALEDIR "/usr/share/locale"
#define POSTGIS_PGSQL_VERSION 95

so the installation paths (BINDIR, DOCDIR, MANDIR and SHAREDIR) all point to the latest (9.5) installation. After successful make then make -n install (be sure to not forget the -n!) showed the installation paths. Most of them pointed to /usr/lib/postgresql/9.5/lib and /usr/share/postgresql/9.5/extension, with the exception of liblwgeom, which would be installed in /usr/local/lib and /usr/local/include.

So, you first could try ./configure (which won't harm) and see if it gives an error, and if not, where the installation would go to. Probably you have to install the development files, which will also install the correct pg_config for your version. As long as you do not sudo make install, nothing should be installed.

And, of course, have a trusted current backup of your running installation!