On Friday 12 October 2007 15:41:58 Tom Lane wrote:
> As Martin Pitt pointed out in this pgsql-bugs thread
> http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-bugs/2007-10/msg00089.php
> we have managed to create an ABI break between 8.2 and 8.3 libpq
> by renumbering encoding IDs in pg_wchar.h. Although perhaps this
> does not hurt any third-party clients, it does break our own initdb
> and psql programs, which turn out to be dependent on libpq and the
> backend having the same numbering. Going forward we should try to
> fix things so that the exact values of those IDs need not be considered
> part of libpq's ABI, but that doesn't get us out of the fact that 8.2
> psql will fail if you try to use it with CVS HEAD libpq.so.
>
> It seems that we are faced with a choice of two evils:
>
> 1. Accept that there's an ABI break and increment libpq.so's major
> version number for 8.3. This will be a PITA for packagers, who will
> have to carry a compatibility package to provide 8.2 libpq.so.
>
> 2. Renumber 8.3's encoding IDs to preserve compatibility with the
> 8.2 values. It turns out that we can do that, but we will have to
> force initdb because the contents of pg_database.encoding will change.
>
> I'm of the opinion that #2 is the lesser evil, but maybe I'm overly
> influenced by my Red Hat packaging responsibilities --- I'll personally
> have to spend time on a compatibility package if we go with #1.
> Other opinions out there?
>
> Also, if we do #2 it means that we have the option to resolve the
> contrib/txid mess by pushing txid into the core backend before beta2.
> Any votes pro or con on that?
I vote that adding txid to the backend now will be of better value for all
parties involved than not, given it's coming without any particular pain.
(though I may be a bit biased on this). By having it in core it's one less
thing that skytools/slony needs to detect and error out on with an message
saying install contrib/txid during their install phases. Not to mention this
puts having replication that much more likely to be available in shared
hosting environments who by all reports loth installing contrib for their
customers.
>
> regards, tom lane
>
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