Software Update: PostgreSQL 8.4 Beta 2

PostgreSQL is an open source relational database management system that can be run on various operating systems. The developers have released the second beta of version 8.4, which has improved and added several points. The corresponding announcement looks like this:

8.4 Beta 2 Now Available

The PostgreSQL Project has released the second beta of version 8.4 for community testing. This beta release fixes a number of issues with the first 8.4 beta, especially issues with pg_standby, PL/pgSQL and encoding and collation handling. We need all users to test 8.4 Beta 2 as soon as possible in order to speed the final release of the new version.

In order to improve the usability of pg_standby, we have added “fast” and “smart” mode switches to the utility. This is an API change. The “smart” mode ensures that all logs are applied for zero data loss, while the “fast” mode is similar to prior behavior. The behavior of the trigger file has also changed. Developers of PostgreSQL administration tools should modify them to support the new API.

Additionally, the following features and utilities were fixed or modified between Beta 1 and Beta 2. Please take time to test the functionality below to make certain the fixes behave as expected.

• SQL/XML
• PL/pgSQL
• pg_bench
• JOIN costing
• Encoding and collation handling
• SSL connections
• psql df
• Unicode escapes
• Parallel restore
• pg_dumpall

For more information:

• Beta 2 Changes Information
• Beta Information Page
• Release Notes
• Source Code

The usual duration of the beta testing period for a new version of PostgreSQL is 6 weeks. However, that time can vary significantly depending on what bugs our testing discovers. The PostgreSQL project does not release until all significant known bugs are fixed. Your help finding and fixing bugs will speed up the final release.