The latest version of DBD::Pg, the PostgreSQL DBI driver, has been released and provides some useful new functionality, including support for server-side prepares, SQLSTATE code retrieval, and a last_insert_id() function. See below for a brief overview.

PostgreSQL's command line utility psql provides a settings toggle \timing which displays the time it takes to run a statement, right down to thousandths of a millisecond. This is very useful for debugging speed-critical statements, especially for web-based applications where a few milliseconds either way can make a noticeable cumulative difference.

Recently I was struggling with a particular statement which normally executed in less than 10ms, but with the addition of a single additional condition in the WHERE clause, execution time went up by a factor of five to around 50ms. (In human terms that might not sound a lot, "only" 1/20th of a second, but the app should be able to deliver the entire dynamic web page within 250ms - in that case 40ms is suddenly a very long time).

The usual suspects in this kind of situation - differing query plans, lack of recent VACUUM ANALYZE etc. - were evidently not guilty, and no amount of SQL voodoo would make any difference.

Due to a potential security hole recently identified with the LOAD command, security updates for currently supported PostgreSQL versions (7.2 to 8.0) have been released.

• Announcement
• Mirrors: http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/download/mirrors-ftp
• Bittorrent: http://bt.postgresql.org

Privilege-checking weaknesses with the LOAD command may permit local privilege escalations in all current versions. Updates are expected on Friday.

Reference:

• http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-hackers/2005-01/msg00814.php

PostgreSQL 8.0 has been released and is available for download.

• Release announcement
• What's New in 8.0
• Mirrors: http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/download/mirrors-ftp
• Bittorrent: http://bt.postgresql.org

SUSE is now making RPMs available for current PostgreSQL versions (7.2, 7.3, 7.4 and 8.0rc builds):

• ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/postgresql/

Well, the previous prediction doesn't seem to have been quite accurate. A number of last-minute bug-fixes, including the solution for a hard-to-reproduce table definition problem (more info) have been added, bringing the Release Candidate total up to 5.

An initdb is not required.

• Release announcement: https://www.postgresql.org/message-id/20050107115212.V63822@ganymede.hub.org
• Mirrors: http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/download/mirrors-ftp
• Bittorrent: http://bt.postgresql.org

The anticipated December 15th release obviously didn't happen for a variety of reasons. PostgreSQL 8.0 is now at Release Candidate 3, and the latest target is now January 15th, with this being the final Release Candidate.

This release contains mainly documentation changes. An initdb is not required.

• Release announcement: http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-general/2005-01/msg00027.php
• Mirrors: http://wwwmaster.postgresql.org/download/mirrors-ftp
• Bittorrent: http://bt.postgresql.org