Installation on AlmaLinux/CentOS

Installation from the PostgreSQL Yum Repository

The following installation procedure is based on the official PostgreSQL Yum Repository instructions for Red Hat family distributions.

Step 1: Add PostgreSQL Repository

AlmaLinux and CentOS do not include PostgreSQL 17 in their default repositories. The official PostgreSQL Yum Repository must be added.

For AlmaLinux/CentOS/Rocky Linux 9:

sudo dnf install -y https://download.postgresql.org/pub/repos/yum/reporpms/EL-9-x86_64/pgdg-redhat-repo-latest.noarch.rpm

For AlmaLinux/CentOS/Rocky Linux 8:

sudo dnf install -y https://download.postgresql.org/pub/repos/yum/reporpms/EL-8-x86_64/pgdg-redhat-repo-latest.noarch.rpm

For RHEL 10:

sudo dnf install -y https://download.postgresql.org/pub/repos/yum/reporpms/EL-10-x86_64/pgdg-redhat-repo-latest.noarch.rpm

This repository is maintained by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group (PGDG) and provides packages for all supported versions of PostgreSQL.

Step 2: Disable Default PostgreSQL Module

Red Hat family distributions include older PostgreSQL versions in their AppStream modules. To ensure PostgreSQL 17 is installed from the official repository, disable the built-in module:

sudo dnf -qy module disable postgresql

Verify Available Modules (Optional):

dnf module list postgresql

This should show that the PostgreSQL modules are disabled.

Step 3: Install PostgreSQL 17

Install the PostgreSQL 17 server and client packages:

sudo dnf install -y postgresql17-server postgresql17-contrib

Package Details:

• postgresql17-server: Core database server
• postgresql17-contrib: Additional supplied modules and extensions

For a complete list of available packages, refer to the PostgreSQL Yum Repository documentation.

Step 4: Initialize Database

Before starting PostgreSQL for the first time, initialize the database:

sudo /usr/pgsql-17/bin/postgresql-17-setup initdb

This command:

• Creates the data directory structure (default: /var/lib/pgsql/17/data/)
• Initializes the database with default configuration
• Creates the main configuration file: postgresql.conf

Create SECollab Database

After initialization, create the SECollab database and user accounts:

1. Start PostgreSQL temporarily (if not already started):

sudo systemctl start postgresql-17

2. Access PostgreSQL as the postgres user:

sudo -u postgres psql

3. Run the following SQL commands:

CREATE ROLE architect;
CREATE DATABASE secollab WITH OWNER architect;
CREATE USER secollab WITH PASSWORD 'secollabUserPassword';
GRANT architect TO secollab;
	

Important: Replace 'secollabUserPassword' with a strong, secure password for the SECollab user.

4. Verify the database was created:

\l

You should see the secollab database listed with architect as the owner.

5. Exit psql:

\q

Step 5: Start and Enable PostgreSQL Service

Enable PostgreSQL to Start on Boot:

sudo systemctl enable postgresql-17

Start the PostgreSQL Service (if not already started):

sudo systemctl start postgresql-17

Check Service Status:

sudo systemctl status postgresql-17

You should see output indicating that the service is "active (running)".

Step 6: Verify Installation

Check PostgreSQL Version:

psql --version

Expected output: psql (PostgreSQL) 17.X

Verify SECollab Database:

sudo -u postgres psql -d secollab -c "SELECT current_database();"

Expected output: secollab

Verify SECollab User:

sudo -u postgres psql -c "\du secollab"

This should display the secollab user with membership in the architect role.

Offline installation

The offline installation procedure allows you to install PostgreSQL on a server that is not directly connected to the internet.

It follows the standard procedure with two exceptions:

• step 1 is not necessary
• during step 3, navigate to the folder containing the PostgreSQL installation files and execute the command: sudo dnf localinstall *.rpm
• continue the installation normally.