How to Get Started with PostGIS 2.0 on Ubuntu 12.04 (precise)
(minor updates as of 12/18/12) (This installation may generate some errors related to jvm - please see: http://www.jaloonz.com/2012/08/installing-postgis-201-on-ubuntu-1204.html if you run into any problems.)
This page is targeted at new users and will be written as simply as possible, with plenty of confirmation information. It is also expected to be a temporary page until someone creates a PPA with all associated build information.
Install PostGIS 2.0/2.0.1
Installation requirements can be found at PostGIS Support Matrix
Key libraries to focus on: GEOS, GDAL. Issues related to these two libraries will dictate the method you choose to use to install PostGIS 2.0.
Successful package-based installation of version 2.0.1 using the existing stable UbuntuGIS PPA (tested 2013-04-24)
sudo apt-get install python-software-properties sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntugis/ppa sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.1-postgis
Partially-successful Package-Based Installation using the existing Sharpie Oneiric PPA (Personal Package Archive)
The good news: following these steps *will* install PostGIS 2.0 successfully. Thanks, Sharpie!!! : )
sudo apt-get install python-software-properties sudo apt-add-repository ppa:sharpie/for-science sudo apt-add-repository ppa:sharpie/postgis-stable sudo apt-add-repository ppa:ubuntugis/ubuntugis-unstable sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install postgresql-9.1-postgis2
The bad news: well… it's not really that bad, but this depends on the unstable repository for ubuntugis (gdal 1.9 etc).
Complete installation using a combination of packages and sources
¼ Install PostgreSQL and other foundations
Install prerequisite packages for PostGIS installation, including PostgreSQL, pgAdminIII, and doc-related libraries using:
sudo apt-get install build-essential postgresql-9.1 postgresql-server-dev-9.1 libxml2-dev proj libjson0-dev xsltproc docbook-xsl docbook-mathml gettext postgresql-contrib-9.1 pgadmin3
2/4 Build libGDAL1.9
This PPA provides up-to-date GDAL support for Precise. Thanks, Olivier!
NOTE: If you are running server, you'll need to do this step first:
sudo apt-get install python-software-properties
Next, for both server and desktop:
sudo apt-add-repository ppa:olivier-berten/geo sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install libgdal-dev
Verify you have the latest version of libGDAL:
$ gdal-config --version 1.9.0
Looks good… what's up with libGEOS?
$ geos-config --version 3.3.2
Crud… not quite 3.3.3. On to the next step.
¾ Build GEOS 3.3.x
NOTE: This step may be out of date & unnecessary as of 12/18/12.
These are the instructions for building geos 3.3.3, based on instructions found elsewhere on trac.osgeo.org with some additions determined through trial and error:
sudo apt-get install g++ ruby ruby1.8-dev swig swig2.0 ''--- added to other instructions, not installed by default in 12.04 & required for this make wget http://download.osgeo.org/geos/geos-3.3.3.tar.bz2 tar xvfj geos-3.3.3.tar.bz2 cd geos-3.3.3 ./configure --enable-ruby --prefix=/usr
The end of this configure process should look something like this:
Swig: true Python bindings: false Ruby bindings: true PHP bindings: false
If it's so, then move on to finishing the installation:
make sudo make install cd ..
To confirm this works, do the following:
$ geos-config --version 3.3.3
4/4 Build PostGIS
wget http://postgis.refractions.net/download/postgis-2.0.6.tar.gz tar xfvz postgis-2.0.6.tar.gz cd postgis-2.0.6 ./configure --with-gui <--- not sure if the with-gui is required
The end of the configure processing should leave you with something that looks like this:
PostGIS is now configured for i686-pc-linux-gnu -------------- Compiler Info ------------- C compiler: gcc -g -O2 C++ compiler: g++ -g -O2 -------------- Dependencies -------------- GEOS config: /usr/bin/geos-config GEOS version: 3.3.3 GDAL config: /usr/bin/gdal-config GDAL version: 1.9.0 PostgreSQL config: /usr/bin/pg_config PostgreSQL version: PostgreSQL 9.1.3 PROJ4 version: 47 Libxml2 config: /usr/bin/xml2-config Libxml2 version: 2.7.8 JSON-C support: yes PostGIS debug level: 0 Perl: /usr/bin/perl --------------- Extensions --------------- PostGIS Raster: enabled PostGIS Topology: enabled -------- Documentation Generation -------- xsltproc: /usr/bin/xsltproc xsl style sheets: /usr/share/xml/docbook/stylesheet/nwalsh dblatex: convert: mathml2.dtd: /usr/share/xml/schema/w3c/mathml/dtd/mathml2.dtd
If this works, you should be ready to ready to finish your installation:
make sudo make install sudo ldconfig sudo make comments-install
Lastly, enable the command-line tools to work from your shell:
sudo ln -sf /usr/share/postgresql-common/pg_wrapper /usr/local/bin/shp2pgsql sudo ln -sf /usr/share/postgresql-common/pg_wrapper /usr/local/bin/pgsql2shp sudo ln -sf /usr/share/postgresql-common/pg_wrapper /usr/local/bin/raster2pgsql
Connecting to your new database
There are two primary ways to connect to your new database from the localhost, one is to use the pgadmin tool, the other is to use the psql command line tool. Remote connections via IP are left as exercises for the more advanced user.
In either case, you'll need to connect to the database using your 'postgres' user account, which was created during installation of PostgreSQL. What in the world is the password for this account? Who knows? I haven't been able to figure it out. Luckily, there are instructions on what to do at: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PostgreSQL.
An important distinction to make when getting started is that there are both a system user account named 'postgres' and a database account named 'postgres'. These are two separate accounts. The database allows psql-based command line connections from the localhost by system user accounts with the same username as the database account. Make sense? Bottom line is that you won't be able to do much at all until you set up the password for both of these accounts, separately.
Note that some online documentation recommends setting up a system user account called 'postgres' with superuser privileges, but this is not a requirement for getting started.
Next steps - start these steps logged in as your user account: NOTE: you do not have to use the same password for the system and PostgreSQL user accounts that share the same name.
$ sudo passwd postgres Enter new UNIX password: Retype new UNIX password: passwd: password updated successfully $ sudo -s -u postgres postgres$ psql psql (9.1.3) Type "help" for help. postgres=# \password postgres Enter new password: Enter it again: postgres=# \q postgres$
If you're going to want to connect to the PostgreSQL database using your own account (so you don't have to fool around with 'postgres'), you may want to do this:
$USER$ sudo -s -u postgres postgres$ createuser --superuser $USER ---- note: createuser is a command line tool to create a PostgreSQL user, not a system account postgres$ createdb $USER postgres$ psql psql (9.1.3) Type "help" for help. postgres=# \password $USER Enter new password: Enter it again: postgres=# \q postgres$ exit $USER$ psql psql (9.1.3) Type "help" for help. $USER=# ---- voila!
As noted above, this is a great resource: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/PostgreSQL.
Connecting to your database using pgAdmin III
If you connect through pgadmin, use the following attributes:
- Name: this is an arbitrary name for your database server
- Host: localhost
- Port: 5432 [pre-filled as default]
- Service: [leave this blank]
- Maintenance DB: postgres [default]
- Username: postgres
- Password: whatever you set in the prior step - note that this is the PostgreSQL password and not the system password
- Store password: uncheck this (or not, based on your security paranoia level)
- Colour: whatever suits your fancy
- Group: Servers [default]
Spatially-enabling a database
With PostgreSQL 9.1, there are two methods to add PostGIS functionality to a database: using extensions, or using enabler scripts.
PostGIS Extension for PostgreSQL
Spatially enabling a database using extensions is a new feature of PostgreSQL 9.1. As usual, there are two methods for doing this, through psql or pgAdmin III:
Adding extensions using psql
Connect to a database using pgAdmin or psql, and run the following commands. For example, if you have created a database called 'GIStest', to add postgis with raster support capability to 'GIStest' do the following:
GIStest=# CREATE EXTENSION postgis; CREATE EXTENSION GIStest=#
To add topology support, a second extension can be created on the database:
GIStest=# CREATE EXTENSION postgis_topology; CREATE EXTENSION GIStest=#
Adding extensions using pgAdmin III
- Open pgAdmin III
- Click on the database symbol for the database to be spatially enabled
- Right click on the "Extensions" symbol and select "New Extension"
- In name, type "postgis"
- Then, click "OK"
- Repeat, using "postgis_topology"
Enabler Scripts / Template
Enabler scripts can be used to either build a template, or directly spatially enable a database. This method is older than the extension method, but is required if the raster support is not built.
The following example creates a template, which can be re-used for creating multiple spatially-enabled databases. Or if you just want to make one spatially enabled database, you can modify the commands for your needs.
PostGIS:
sudo -u postgres createdb template_postgis sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/postgis.sql sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/spatial_ref_sys.sql sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/postgis_comments.sql
with raster support:
sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/rtpostgis.sql sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/raster_comments.sql
with topology support:
sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/topology.sql sudo -u postgres psql -d template_postgis -f /usr/share/postgresql/9.1/contrib/postgis-2.0/topology_comments.sql
