Comment by Arch-TK
8 days ago
I don't really get why Postgres is touted as "boring" technology. It's literally the "exciting" SQL server.
Surely you mean MySQL / MariaDB.
With Postgres I literally have to re-read docs every time there is a major version upgrade because I need to remind myself how to dump the database and re-import it into the new version because it's 2025 and Postgres still hasn't come up with a way to not have you do this.
Run your cluster on Debian. Make a backup. Run pg_upgradecluster. In a week, throw away the backup.
(You should be checking for regressions and behavior changes in your app, too, but you always need to do that. Have a QA database.)
I am talking from an end user of an application point of view.
I have _one_ database, not a cluster. I back it up every day anyway.
You're telling me I have to specifically use Debian, and have a cluster, to get a good experience out of Postgres?
Doesn't sound very boring to me.
First, important point: every Postgres DB is in a cluster.
Second, important point: yes, you should use Debian because Debian has consistently provided the upgrade-in-place experience that PG has lacked until.... just now, actually.
Third point that you didn't ask about: you should learn a little about PG tuning, because on day 1, the config is tuned appropriately for your Sun Ultra 5 workstation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_5/10
(I am slightly exaggerating, but you should investigate anyway.)
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Try reading what postgres calls a "cluster" (of databases, not of servers): https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/creating-cluster.htm...
Running and using MySQL is so much more trouble and limitations, it's not even funny any longer. I for myself have concluded, if I have the choice, I will never again choose MySQL.
pg_upgrade has worked fine for years now, no need for manual dump/restore
https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/pgupgrade.html
You are right, but it's still a manual step I have to remind myself how to perform every time I upgrade. Thankfully the OpenBSD docs remind me, otherwise I wouldn't remember:
https://www.openbsd.org/faq/upgrade77.html
https://github.com/openbsd/ports/blob/master/databases/postg...