PostgreSQL 13
Summary
Update of PostgreSQL (postgresql
and libpq
components) in Fedora from version 12 to version 13 in the non-modular (main) builds.
Also, there will be a design change in postgresql modular packaging regarding the external libpq library ensuring future build time compatibility. More information in the Detailed Description section.
Owner
- Name: Patrik Novotny
- Email: panovotn@redhat.com
Current status
- Targeted release: Fedora 34
- Last updated: 2021-01-08
- FESCo issue: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
- Tracker bug: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
- Release notes tracker: <will be assigned by the Wrangler>
Detailed Description
Update of PostgreSQL (postgresql
and libpq
components) in Fedora from version 12 to version 13 in the non-modular (main) builds.
This also involves updating and rebuilding the PostgreSQL plugins that depend on postgresql server.
There will also be a change to the packaging of postgresql modules, as with those, the external libpq library can be potentially problematic upon upstream releases.
As postgresql packages are built against the separated libpq package, an incompatibility between major versions can occur with new minor upstream releases. For example, when building postgresql version 12.4 against libpq version 13.1.
To keep the benefits of having separately maintained libpq library, libpq stays as a separate package.
However, to solve the potential issues with the postgresql builds, we will bundle libpq with a downstream changed SONAME within each postgresql release. The postgresql will be built against this libpq.
This bundled libpq will always be the same version as the corresponding postgresql as they will share the same codebase. As the libpq SONAME will be changed downstream to a non-standard SONAME, and separate libpq package with standard SONAME will be provided, this change won't affect the user experience for those components.
Feedback
Benefit to Fedora
Latest stable software is used by Fedora users.
Scope
- Proposal owners:
- Prepare PostgreSQL 13 as a module for Rawhide and at least one stable Fedora release (including the design change and symbol versioning fix)
- Prepare PostgreSQL 12 as a module for Rawhide
- Check software that requires or depends on
postgresql-server
orlibpq
packages for incompatibilities - Build PostgreSQL 13 (postgresql and libpq) to Rawhide in a site-tag (https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Package_update_HOWTO#Creating_a_side-tag)
- Rebuild depended packages against PostgreSQL 13 in the site-tag (see Dependencies)
- Merge the site-tag to Rawhide
- Gather user input on the changes between PostgreSQL 12 and PostgreSQL 13
- Other developers: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
- Release engineering: #Releng issue number (a check of an impact with Release Engineering is needed)
- Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
- Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)
Upgrade/compatibility impact
The PostgreSQL client library (libpq component) is compatible, but there is an issue with symbol versioning (originally reported https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1893324 was reverted, but there is a plan to fix this properly together with this PostgreSQL update tracked in https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1908268). So, there shouldn't be any issues with API compatibility, but rebuild of the depended components is necessary.
Server plugins might require a newer version update, because they sometimes have explicit server requirements. PostgreSQL maintainer will help fixing/rebuilding any issues in the plugins.
How To Test
Usual testing as when upgrading between major PostgreSQL versions, running postgresql-setup --upgrade
is necessary between major versions.
Test that all other software runs well with PostgreSQL 13.
User Experience
The users will have to upgrade their databases the same way as between major PostgreSQL versions, aka postgresql-setup --upgrade
after installing PostgreSQL 13 server packages.
If users want to stick with PostgreSQL 12 for a little longer, there will be PostgreSQL 12 module
Dependencies
There are some packages (mostly server plugins), that build on top of PostgreSQL. Since the separation of PostgreSQL client library (libpq component), only packages that build server plugins should use postgresql package in BuildRequires, others should use libpq. In both the cases, rebuild should be done to make sure all potential binary incompatibilities are handled.
- Critical dependecies - components with higher importance, will be prioritised during the rebase
- apr-util
- bacula
- bind
- cyrus-imapd
- cyrus-sasl
- dovecot
- freeradius
- gdal
- libecpg
- nagios-plugins
- opendbx
- perl-DBD-Pg
- php
- pgaudit
- postfix
- qt
- qt3
- qt5-qtbase
- redland
- rsyslog
- rubygem-pg
- postgres-decoderbufs
The rest of the dependencies is not considered critical. Though, those will need to be rebuild as well.
- libpq
- EMBOSS
- Io-language
- PDAL
- PyGreSQL
- asterisk
- biboumi
- clisp
- collectd
- dpsearch
- exim
- flow-tools
- freight-tools
- gambas3
- gammu
- gawk-pgsql
- gearmand
- gnatcoll-db
- gnokii
- grass
- hydra
- jabberd
- kdb
- kea
- libdbi-drivers
- libgda
- libnss-pgsql
- libpqxx
- libpreludedb
- libzdb
- lua-dbi
- lua-sql
- mapnik
- mapserver
- medusa
- minetestmapper
- ocaml-postgresql
- opensips
- openvas-manager
- osm2pgsql
- pdns
- perl-pgsql_perl5
- pg_top
- pgadmin3
- pgcenter
- pgmodeler
- php-pecl-pq
- player
- postgis
- postgresql
- postgresql-pgpool-II
- proftpd
- pspp
- pure-ftpd
- rdkit
- rhdb-utils
- root
- saga
- soci
- spatialite-gui
- sphinx
- sysbench
- tcl-pgtcl
- unicornscan
- virtualpg
- vtk
- zabbix
- postgresql-server
- gambas3
- kdb
- kea
- libpqxx
- openvas-manager
- orafce
- pg-semver
- pgRouting
- pgadmin3
- pgsphere
- postgis
- postgresql-ip4r
- postgresql-pgpool-II
- qt3
- rdkit
- rhdb-utils
- timescaledb
Contingency Plan
Revert changes in the non-modular packages and provide PostgreSQL 13 as a module stream only.
Documentation
Upgrade startegy: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/upgrading.html
Release Notes
Release notes for PostgreSQL 13 release: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/index.html
Overall overview of the changes and improvements: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/13/release-13.html