Changes/PostgreSQL 16

PostgreSQL 16

Summary

Update of default PostgreSQL stream (postgresql and libpq components) in Fedora from version 15 to version 16. Since modularity was marked as retired, there will also be a change in the packaging concept.

Owner

• Name: Filip Januš
• Email: fjanus@redhat.com

Current status

• Targeted release: Fedora Linux 40
• Last updated: 2024-02-28
• Announced
• Discussion thread
• FESCo issue: #3100
• Tracker bug: #2251109
• Release notes tracker: #1098

Detailed Description

The original package PostgreSQL will be retired. Since Fedora 40 there will be a separate component in the rpms namespace for each shipped PostgreSQL. So postgresql15 for PG15 and postgresql16 for PG16. Each PG stream will provide postgresql symbol and conflict with each other. The choice of default stream will be made by building sub-packages with appropriate names. (using -n in the files section). This approach should solve, among other things, the problem of possible duplicity. There is the following problem if we kept one version to be shipped in unversioned postgresql component:

F40 - there is currently a default version PG15 (postgresql -> 15)
F40 - there will be added version PG16 (postgresql -> 15, postgresql16)
F40 - switch default version to PG16 (postgresql -> 16, postgresql16, new postgresql15)
If PG15 is to be present in F40, to follow non-modular concept the new package is necessary.
BUt such switch leads to duplicit packages postgresql and postgresql16 with the same content.

Using just versioning packages would solve the described issue. The proposed solution is described below.

Plan of the future structure of Postgresql versioning:
Fedora 40 where PostgreSQL 16 is default:
postgresql SRPM -> deprecated
postrgresql15 SRPM -> postgresql15, postgresql15-server, ...
postrgresql16 SRPM -> postgresql, postgresql-server, ...
postrgresql17 SRPM -> postgresql17, postgresql17-server, ...

Fedora 42 where PostgreSQL 17 is default:
postgresql SRPM -> deprecated
postrgresql15 SRPM -> postgresql15, postgresql15-server, ...
postrgresql16 SRPM -> postgresql16, postgresql16-server, ...
postrgresql17 SRPM -> postgresql, postgresql-server, ...

This also involves updating and rebuilding the PostgreSQL plugins that depend on postgresql server.

Benefit to Fedora

The latest stable software is provided for Fedora users. Modules are no longer needed.

Scope

• Proposal owners:

• • Prepare PostgreSQL 16 as the default stream
  • Prepare PostgreSQL 15 as a non-default stream
  • Check software that requires or depends on postgresql-server or libpq packages for incompatibilities
  • Build PostgreSQL 16 (postgresql and libpq) for Rawhide
  • Build PostgreSQL 15 for Rawhide
  • Rebuild dependent packages against PostgreSQL 16

• Other developers:

• Release engineering: #Releng issue number

• Policies and guidelines: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)

• Alignment with Community Initiatives:

Upgrade/compatibility impact

The PostgreSQL client library (libpq component) is compatible. So, there shouldn't be any compatibility issues, but rebuild of the dependent components is recommended.

Server plugins might require a newer version update because they sometimes have explicit server requirements.

How To Test

All PG server plugins should be installable. postgresql-setup --upgrade command should succeed.

Test that all other software runs well with PostgreSQL 16.

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 16 server packages.

If users want to stick with PostgreSQL 15 for a little longer, there will be PostgreSQL 15 as nondefault PostgreSQL stream

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 the case of Postgresql-server, a rebuild should be done to ensure all potential binary incompatibilities are handled.

• PostgreSQL server dependecies
  • perl-DBD-Pg
  • pgaudit
  • qt
  • qt3
  • qt5-qtbase
  • postgres-decoderbufs
  • gambas3
  • kdb
  • kea
  • libpqxx
  • openvas-manager
  • orafce
  • pg-semver
  • pgRouting
  • pgadmin3
  • pgsphere
  • postgis
  • postgresql-ip4r
  • postgresql-pgpool-II
  • qt3
  • rdkit
  • rhdb-utils
  • timescaledb
  • pg_repack

Contingency Plan

• Contingency mechanism: (What to do? Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)
• Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No

Revert the changes and provide PostgreSQL 15 only.

Documentation

Upgrade strategy: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/16/upgrading.html

N/A (not a System Wide Change)

Release Notes

Release notes for PostgreSQL 16 release: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/16/index.html

Overall overview of the changes and improvements: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/16/release-16.html