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<chapter id="installation">

<title><![%flattext-install-include[<productname>PostgreSQL</>]]> Installation Instructions</title>

<para>

Compiles all programs and libraries with debugging symbols.

This means that you can run the programs through a debugger

to analyze problems. This option is not recommended for

production use.

to analyze problems. This enlarges the size of the installed

executables considerably, and on non-gcc compilers it usually

also disables compiler optimization, causing slowdowns. However,

having the symbols available is extremely helpful for dealing

with any problems that may arise. Currently, this option is

considered of marginal value for production installations, but

you should have it on if you are doing development work or

running a beta version.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>

<varlistentry>

<term>--enable-cassert</term>

<listitem>

<para>

Enables <firstterm>assertion</> checks in the server, which test for

many <quote>can't happen</> conditions. This is invaluable for

code development purposes, but the tests slow things down a little.

Also, having the tests turned on won't necessarily enhance the

stability of your server! The assertion checks are not categorized

for severity, and so what might be a relatively harmless bug will

still lead to postmaster restarts if it triggers an assertion

failure. Currently, this option is not recommended for

production use, but you should have it on for development work

or when running a beta version.

</para>

</listitem>

</varlistentry>