Changes don't mention required PostgreSQL version

[mojolicious]

Changes don't mention required PostgreSQL version

[shadowcat-mst]

I can't find any mention of the 9.3 to 9.4 change either.

I'm not objecting to your using the latest stable version of PostgreSQL, I just feel like it should be called out more loudly, just like similarly breaking changes in Mojolicious are - remember I've been a great supporter of your deprecation policy in Mojolicious since it was written up.

Would you take a documentation patch to Minion::Backend::Pg specifically saying that people probably shouldn't put minion in the same postgresql install as other applications so they can upgrade the minion postgresql install safely?

[shadowcat-mst]

Well, the problem I've hit is that a customer didn't do that, and is now having to move it to a spearate PostgreSQL installation, because their primary one can't go to 9.5 without a lot more testing and a scheduled maintenance window.

I mean, basically, the choices here are:

1. Put minion in a separate database
2. Don't use Minion::Backend::Pg
3. Don't upgrade minion

Which of those would you find preferable?

[shadowcat-mst]

Ok. Can we please have a warning in Changes in big letters when that happens though (preferably including a retroactive one for the 9.5 change) - a postgres upgrade between major versions is a really, really big deal for a lot of companies and one line in the Minion::Backend::Pg documentation is demonstrably not enough to stop people shooting themselves in the foot.

(once there is such a warning in the changelog they'll probably still do it sometimes anyway, but at that point I'll be happy to tell them they're fools and should read the changelog next time :)

[kraih]

It was done in 5.0, a major release. The documentation of Minion::Backend::Pg specifically mentions it too.

Note that this backend uses many bleeding edge features, so only the
latest, stable version of PostgreSQL is fully supported.

If you need more backwards compatibility guarantees i recommend 3rd party backends, like Minion::Backend::Pg91.

[kraih]

Not sure i even agree about deploying Minion on a separate PostgreSQL installation.

[kraih]

That said, PostgreSQL 9.5 was a very special case, it brought new tools specifically for job queues (SKIP LOCKED). Doubt we'll have the same problem again anytime soon.

[kraih]

Sure, the Minion upgrade should have been harmless though, and easily reversible. We've added a hardcoded version check to Minion::Backend::Pg that croaks immediately before making any changes to the schema.

[shadowcat-mst]

It was, but they wanted the new features, and it's caused a bit of drama because of the complete lack of warning until they tried to fire things up.

Like I say, the Minion code is perfectly fine here, I'm in no way complaining about that. I was just want a warning in BIG RED LETTERS or equivalent in the changelog so people are warned.

[kraih]

I've added a note retroactively. 1dfd934
But i'm afraid i do not remember what the PostgreSQL 9.3 situation was, maybe i went straight from MongoDB to PostgreSQL 9.4 and unintentionally supported 9.3 for a time.

[shadowcat-mst]

That seems fair enough, and given you're making sure it croak()s if it doesn't see the version of pg it intends to support that'll never be a problem again, so I'm untroubled by it.

Thanks very much for the retroactive note!