Using a contrib module

While some contrib programs such as pgbench, are directly executable, most are utilities that you install into a database in order to add extra features to them.

As an example, to install the module into a database named abc, the following command line would work (assuming the RedHat location of the file):

$ psql -d abc -f /usr/share/postgresql/contrib/pg_buffercache.sql   

You could instead use the pgAdmin III GUI management utility, which is bundled with the Windows installer for PostgreSQL, instead of the command line:

1. Navigate to the database you want to install the module into.
2. Click on the SQL icon in the toolbar to bring up the command editor.
3. Choose File/Open. Navigate to C:\Program
   Files\PostgreSQL/version/share/contrib/pg_buffercache.sql and open that file.
4. Execute using either the green arrow or Query/Execute.

You can do a quick test of the module installed on any type of system by running the following quick query:

SELECT * FROM pg_buffercache;  

If any results come back, the module was installed. Note that pg_buffercache will only be installable and usable by database superusers.