osmpostgis

1) make sure you actually HAVE postgres AND postgis AND plsql!

2) enable postgis extension (may be in a different path or already coming from your distribution)

psql -U YOURUSER -d YOURDB -f /usr/share/postgresql/contrib/postgis-2.0/postgis.sql

or, on psql shell:

CREATE extension postgis;

3) download appropriate OSM data - start with something small!

http://downloads.cloudmade.com/

4) install osm2psql - it comes with some important files

5) activate "some stuff" (no idea so far why I need this ;)

psql -U YOURUSER -d YOURDB -f /usr/share/osm2pgsql/900913.sql

6) if needed, edit default.style FIRST - it doesn't include e.g. "addr:city" by default, then slurp in:

osm2pgsql -U YOURUSER -d YOURDB -s -S /usr/share/osm2pgsql/default.style YOURDATA.osm

7) on your preferred psql do:

select name, osm_id, st_astext(way) from planet_osm_line where name='YOURSTREET';

8) SUCCESS :) \o/ example output for one of the many Königstraßes.. ;)

Königstraße |  26343124 | LINESTRING(1463605.63 6876119.23,1463603.76 6876106.57)

9) You find the postgis related postgres functions via

\df st_ <TAB> on your psql shell - gives me 229. ;)

Cheatsheets and docs: http://postgis.net/documentation/