Introduction

In order to build postGIS you need some artifacts from the postgresQL development package. This is not as straight forward as it should be.  I encourage you to take a few minutes to read this through. First, your "disto repository" is not likely to be up to date with respect to postgresql packages. In other words, if you blindly type "yum install postgresql-devel", you may have trouble getting everything installed properly. I've seen errors regarding missing libraries and the like. To avoid the fuss, when you are installing postgresql packages, use the postgresql repositories instead of your ditsro repsository.

Here is how you do that. You should read this from top to bottom.
    http://yum.pgsqlrpms.org/howtoyum.php
Also read this; you can safley skip sections on this page.
    http://www.postgresonline.com/journal/index.php?/archives/45-An-Almost-Idiots-Guide-to-PostgreSQL-YUM.html

...

OBSOLETE

See the postgresql installation page.

Installation

We assume you have already installed postgresql.
This is a good how to:

• http://postgis.refractions.net/docs/ch02.html

Did you do your reading?

Main

We assume you have already installed postgresql.

First install these packages:
proj.4 installation
proj4 installgeos installinstallation

OK, now we build postGIS.

todo - where and how do we get the postgis package?

from code.google.com/p/eas/downloads

make sure these paths are correct!

$ yum install postgresql-devel
$ tar xvfz postgis-1.3.1.tar.gz
$ cd postgis-1.3.1
$ ./configure \--with-pgsql=/usr/bin/pg_config \--with-geos=/usr/local/bin/geos-config \--with-proj-libdir=/usr/local/share/proj
$ make
$ su
$ make install
$ exit

Errors

...

error

Code Block
configure: error: Can't find 'flex'

solution

Code Block
yum install flex

...

postgis_template

This is optional.
This page shows how to create and use a db template:
http://geospatial.nomad-labs.com/2006/12/24/postgis-template-database/

make a database

You can make a postgis db "by hand" (see below)<br>
Or you can make a postgis db by using the template (see previous)<br>

$ su postgres
$ cd
$ createdb sfmaps
$ createlang plpgsql sfmaps
$ psql \-f /usr/share/lwpostgis.sql \-d sfmaps (error: could not load library)
$ psql \-f /usr/share/spatial_ref_sys.sql \-d sfmaps
$ psql sfmaps

if you encounter this error:

libgeos_c.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory<br>

do this<br>
Add /usr/local/lib to the dynamic linker run-time bindings

echo '/usr/local/lib' >> /etc/ld.so.conf.d/local-lib.conf
ldconfig

test

How do we know if everything is working properly?

...

...test proj4 by running this SQL

     select asewkt(transform(GeomFromText('POINT(-122.4195 37.77767)', 4326), 900913))

If proj4 is installed and running properly you should see a couple of numbers reasonably close to thesethis:

6007068, 2111312
SRID=900913;POINT(-13627676.4031672 4548065.4753209)

If not, you’ll get a SQL error.

To test geos run this sql (needs eas database to be restored):
todo: need some sql here that does not require a database

    select *
    from
        address_base ab,
        addresses a
    where contains(
        st_transform(
            st_envelope(ST_GeomFromEWKT('SRID=4326;POLYGON((-122.42134 37.77179 0,-122.42134 37.77780 0,-122.41537 37.77780 0,-122.41537 37.77179 0,-122.42134 37.77179 0))')),
            2227
        ),
        ab.geometry
    )
    and ab.address_base_id = a.address_base_id
    limit 100;

...