Is it possible to install PostgreSQL 9.6 (Beta) on Ubuntu 14.04?

Question

I'm using repository from postgresql.org and trying to get PostgreSQL 9.6 (beta) for Ubuntu. Just in case, the repository is http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ references at https://www.postgresql.org/download/linux/ubuntu/

deb http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ trusty-pgdg main
deb http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ trusty-pgdg-testing main

Running

sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.6

It says

Package postgresql-9.6 is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source

E: Package 'postgresql-9.6' has no installation candidate

I also see that postgresql-9.6 was removed from repository here -

05-14 19:08 UTC postgresql-9.6 trusty-pgdg main base DELETED 9.6~beta1-1.pgdg14.04+1

Also here:

WARNING: the "postgresql-9.6" package was deleted from this repository

Is it currently not possible to get postgresql 9.6 using apt-get?

Answer 1

According to the PostgreSQL Apt FAQ: I want to try the beta version of the next PostgreSQL release:

We ship packages for alpha and beta releases, but like in the previous FAQ entry, we have only one version of libpq5 in the main archive component. To use packages of postgresql-9.6, you need to add the 9.6 component to your /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pgdg.list entry, so the 9.6 version of libpq5 will be available for installation:

deb http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ jessie-pgdg main 9.6

So 9.6 being a component (in APT terminology), you don't want to use a testing distribution, but rather adapt the above to Ubuntu 14.04 as:

$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pgdg.list
deb http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ trusty-pgdg main 9.6

After sudo apt-get update and before installing, you may check the details of the candidate package just to be sure:

$ apt-cache policy postgresql-9.6
postgresql-9.6:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 9.6~beta2-1.pgdg14.04+1
  Version table:
     9.6~beta2-1.pgdg14.04+1 0
        500 http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/ trusty-pgdg/9.6 amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Then sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.6 should work fine.

The 9.6 beta may also coexist with non-beta versions such as 9.5 and previous versions.

Answer 2

You have to add another repository path to add postgresql 9.6 to the available software installable by your package manager.

I found an official Manual and Download Link on the postgresql page. A list of official Repositories (including PostgreSQL 9.6 beta testing repo) is available here.

These Repos contain 9.6 and 9.6-testing packages:
http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/dists/trusty-pgdg/9.6/binary-amd64/Release

Archive: trusty-pgdg
Component: 9.6
Origin: apt.postgresql.org
Label: PostgreSQL for Debian/Ubuntu repository
Architecture: amd64

http://apt.postgresql.org/pub/repos/apt/dists/trusty-pgdg-testing/9.6/binary-amd64/Release

Archive: trusty-pgdg-testing
Component: 9.6
Origin: apt.postgresql.org
Label: PostgreSQL for Debian/Ubuntu repository
Architecture: amd64
NotAutomatic: yes
ButAutomaticUpgrades: yes