The following is in reference to the download found at :

http://rdbi.sourceforge.net/

Which untars into Rdbi.PGsql/

http://www.joeconway.com/plr/

I said "configure" script is outdated. Delete it, and run "autoconf" followed by ./configure

read the warning:

if test $PG_INCLUDE_DIR_NOT_FOUND
then

        echo
        echo I could not find your PostgreSQL client headers\!
        echo Use --with-pgsql-includes=PATH\; if running R\'s INSTALL\,
        echo use --configure-args=\'--with-pgsql-includes=PATH\'\; or
        echo set PG_INCLUDE_DIR in your environment to the library path\,
        echo and rerun the configure/install\.
        echo
        exit 1;

fi

and instead of :

#!/bin/sh
./configure --with-pgsql-libraries=/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/lib --with-pgsql-includes=/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/lib

type instead

./configure --configure-args=\'with-pgsql-libraries=/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/lib --with-pgsql-includes=/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/lib\'
HOWEVER,that, too, "is a dead end". In fact, there is no makefile!
as per the mailing list, however, However, you don't see any Makefiles because Rdbi.pgsql is an R package and as such employs the R build system rather than an external Makefile. The Makefiles are actually all contained within the R environment and you typically install packages with 'R CMD INSTALL foo.tar.gz' or if you've already unpacked foo in a directory 'R CMD INSTALL foo' from the directory above. For more information I recommend you take a look at the R documentation that shipped with your installation. It can also be found at http://www.r-project.org

what got me going was the following:

[joe@www src]$cat Rdbiconfig.sh
#!/bin/sh
export PG_LIB_DIR=`/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/bin/pg_config --libdir`
export PG_INCLUDE_DIR=`/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/bin/pg_config --includedir`
sudo R CMD INSTALL Rdbi.PgSQL
[joe@www src]$ sh Rdbiconfig.sh
* Installing source package 'Rdbi.PgSQL' ...
loading cache ./config.cache
creating ./config.status
creating src/Makevars
** libs
gcc -I/usr/local/lib/R/include -I/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/include
-I/usr/local/include -D__NO_MATH_INLINES -mieee-fp -fPIC -g -O2 -c PgSQL.c
-o PgSQL.o
gcc -shared -L/usr/local/lib -o Rdbi.PgSQL.so PgSQL.o
-L/usr/local/pgsqlcvs/lib -lpq
** R
** help
>>> Building/Updating help pages for package 'Rdbi.PgSQL'

     Formats: text html latex example
  PgSQL                             text    html    latex
  dbAppendTable.PgSQL.conn          text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbWriteTable
  dbClearResult.PgSQL.result        text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbSendQuery
  dbColumnInfo.PgSQL.result         text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbSendQuery
  dbConnect.PgSQL                   text    html    latex
  dbConnectionInfo.PgSQL.conn       text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbConnect
  dbDisconnect.PgSQL.conn           text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbConnect
  dbGetQuery.PgSQL.conn             text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbSendQuery
  dbGetResult.PgSQL.result          text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbSendQuery
  dbListTables.PgSQL.conn           text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbConnect
  dbReadTable.PgSQL.conn            text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbWriteTable
  dbResultInfo.PgSQL.result         text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbSendQuery
  dbSendQuery.PgSQL.conn            text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbResultInfo
  dbWriteTable.PgSQL.conn           text    html    latex
     missing link(s):  dbReadTable
  internal                          text    html    latex
  psql                              text    html    latex

* DONE (Rdbi.PgSQL)