On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 11:37 PM, Phoenix Kiula <phoenix.kiula at gmail.com> wrote:


> I manually scoured the labyrinth of docs and came up with this Upgrade link:
> http://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/static/install-upgrading.html

I have two thoughts on this point.

1) Here is the opening sentence of the 8.2 manual:
http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/interactive/install-upgrading.html
"The internal data storage format changes with new releases of
PostgreSQL. Therefore, if you are upgrading an existing installation
that does not have a version number "8.2.x", you must back up and
restore your data as shown here."

So in one sense I see the confusion, the manual could have said, "If
you are only upgrading from and older version of 8.2.x, the steps to
back up and restore of your data is not necessary and could be
skipped."

2) regarding the labyrinth of docs:
I don't really understand why you've continued to use the word
"labyrinth" to describe the postgresql documentation.  There is really
only one place anyone needs to go to find the official PG manuals and
navigating to this place to me is very easy when you visit the
Postgresql.org home page because the link to documentation takes you
to this page:

http://www.postgresql.org/docs/

>From this link you only need to select the on-line manual for the
version of Postgresql that you are using.

2.b)  Also there are two ways that you can "file" a complaint to the
postgreSQL community.
The first is: "I don't like the layout of postgresql's documentation,
it stinks ( or use some other negative phrase like 'labyrinth')!"

The other is: "When I try the following actions to find the postgresql
official documentation, it is too easy to get lost at step X. Or at
link y, it isn't clear how to get to the official documentation.  If
you make to following Z changes, it could be improved."
Also when filing such a request, it is best to choose the most
appropriate mailing list.  For example, if you find a way to "untie
the PostgreSQL documentation labyrinth", why not suggest it to the
pg-WWW mailing list.  They would be happy to make the website easier
to use.

I am sure that everyone in the community wants you to find a workable
solution to your postgresql administration needs.  Also most persons
in the community are not Postgresql developers but rather users like
yourself.  To me as a fellow PG user, many of your emails are connote
a tone of sarcasm, criticality, and general dislike for many project
tools.   If your tone is really expressing actual unhappiness with
PostgreSQL perhaps PostgreSQL was the wrong choice for RDBMS.
<Sarcasm> If you were to choose a difference RDBMS flavor in the
future, who knows, you might find one that satisfies all of you needs
and then users like myself will not have to hear repeated complaints
that we do not necessary agree with and then users like myself will
not have to hear repeated complaint that we do not necessarily agree
with.  It could be a win-win for all of us. </Sarcasm>

-- 
Regards,
Richard Broersma Jr.

Visit the Los Angeles PostgreSQL Users Group (LAPUG)
http://pugs.postgresql.org/lapug