Possible to Install Postgresql 9.5

@AudioDan24, glad to see it at least somewhat worked. I read up on the DaVinci thing and realized that the Database is only a collaboration component of that product. If you want to give the RockOn approach whirl, here are a few ideas: I created a json file and testing it on my system it seems to work very well. It allows you to pick a specific version (like e.g. 9.5.21) and allows you to map a port. I also included the SuperUser creation (along with password for this).

 {
  "PostgreSQL": {
    "description": "PostgreSQL, Note: This rock-on requires Rockstor version 3.9.2-51 or later.",
    "version":"1.2",
    "website":"https://www.postgresql.org",
    "more_info": "Conf.file: <code>/var/lib/pgsql/data/pg_hba.conf</code></p><p>Database:.<code>/var/lib/pgsql/data</code></p> <p>Logs: <code>/var/log/postgresql</code></p>",
    "volume_add_support":true,
    "containers": {
        "postgresql": {
        "image": "postgres",
        "tag": "9.5",
        "launch_order":1,
        "ports": {
            "5432": {
                "description":"PostgreSQL port. Suggested default: 5432",
                "host_default":5432,
                "label":"PostgreSQL port",
                "protocol":"tcp"
            }
        },
        "volumes": {
            "/var/lib/postgresql/data":{
                "description":"Choose a share where the database should be stored. E.g.: create a share called postgresql-share1 for this purpose alone. ",
                "label":"Data Storage"
            }
        },
        "environment": {
            "VERSION": {
                "description": "Choose version of PostgreSQL: Unless you know which version to try, just type latest",
                "label": "VERSION"
            },
            "POSTGRES_USER": {
                "description": "Choose A Superuser name for the PostgreSQL installation",
                "label": "SuperUser"
            },
            "POSTGRES_PASSWORD": {
                "description": "set a password for the SuperUser.",
                "label": "SuperUser password"
            }
        }
        }
     }

   }
}

Put this into a json text file and place it into the local RockOn store:

/opt/rockstor/rockons-metastore

Then hit the Update button in the RockOn Screen of the WebUI. Now the PostgresSQL should show up in the list and you can install it. In the example below you can see the ports mapped differently so the RockStor DB is not affected:

It will by default create the postgresql.

In order to look inside the docker container to make changes to the config files you probably already know to use:
docker exec -it <mycontainer> bash

and you should be able to connect to that Postgres instance with a string something like this (when you’re on the RockStore box, aka localhost):

psql -h localhost -p 5432 -U postgres -W

Now, I am no expert on all of this, but I essentially ignored the password request and then was in as a postgres user, and could check out with \l or \c the databases.

The rest I leave to you, as you probably are more of an expert.

I know, I shouldn’t advertise the competition, but here was a tutorial written for qnap on how to use the container and connect from an external machine that has DaVinci installed:

And with that, my science experiment is complete :slight_smile:

Let us know, if you actually try out this approach …

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@Hooverdan Nice.

Do you fancy editing the tag though as this has the same tag as the referenced pending pull request, and @AudioDan24 looks to need a 9.5 variant. Haven’t checked on exact tag required though.

@AudioDan24 Thanks for the detailed explanation, I’m get it a little more now, and quite an interesting use as it goes. And in which case @Hooverdan’s latest proposal is pretty much exactly what you need, once the tag is adjusted according to what is available (in docker hub) and your requirements. This is looking very doable now.

@Hooverdan if you fancy submitting your Rock-on json as pull request but with an appropriate tag for @AudioDan24’s requirement and some description change to indicate the set version we might get this one in quickly, especially if @AudioDan24 can test it as ‘works for me’ type thing. The prior long standing 10.6 Rock-on request has lacked any real testing, although @Flox and I have been nudging it along and now has only one outstanding issue with regard to an extraneous “host_default” entry @Flox has request be removed. If you look to that pr and model yours on the suggestions there, which I suspect you have done, we can pop this one in quick ready for @AudioDan24 testing.

Thanks all for this enlightening discussion with regard to the utility of a stand alone Postgresql Rock-on. Would be great if we had both the 10.6 and 9.5 versions in, just need to alter the descriptions to be clear to folk what they are installing and indicate there is no Web-UI button function for such a Rock-on.

@phillxnet. I left the tag alone, because from the pull request on this RockOn I was under the impression that a tag is needed for the sake of RockStor, so it doesn’t get confused, e.g. if OwnCloud is installed (since it also has a Postgres container).
In my posted version I was allowing the Postgres version to be freely selected. I assume, I can’t update the tag via the RockOn configuration screen either. Maybe @Flox can also shed some light on that: What’s the difference between the tag in the json file and a label that I can assign after the fact?

I would be more than happy to create a pull request and we can continue the discussion there, if that’s better suited.

@Hooverdan & @phillxnet

This literally the best help I’ve received on any forum ever! Incredible!

Please excuse my minimal knowledge, I am only just managing to grasp what you are suggesting.
I’m embarrassed to say that on a previous installation of Rockstor I was able to access the the file structure from the root level via one of the types of file sharing, however, for some reason I can’t do that on this current installation. I’ve tried various share exports one service at a time but no luck. (trying to log in as ‘root’ via the file sharing login prompt give an error message.

I thought @Hooverdan instead of browsing to the folder you mentioned I would vi edit the file at the location to create it and then paste the code you gave me. However when I tried to locate the folder you listed it wasn’t there in the folder structure. I got as far as /opt/rockstor and that folder contained a bunch of files and folders that weren’t the one you mentioned above. Should I create the folder you suggested?

I’m very keen to try this out! I must admit I have some concerns about the responsiveness of DaVinci Resolve if its project is hosted inside the Docker container. I don’t know much about it but it would seem to be another ‘layer’ for the database read/writes to have to navigate through. However, I won’t know until I try it.

Please let me know about that folder location if you can. Again, sorry about my rudimentary knowledge here. I only really started working with Centos in earnest about two months ago (having been a Windows / Mac user before that).

Thank you for your amazing help! :slightly_smiling_face:

@AudioDan24 Re:

Yes it’s not there by default and needs to be created. See:

which could be improved re the requirement to create this directory.

Docker actually has very little overhead system wise. The db should be near enough native speed.

Docker, put very simply, is kind of like a name space within the host kernel, such that the client ‘image’ believes it’s all on it’s own system. Others will likely have better explanations of it but that a quick attempt.

Hope that helps and make sure to change the tag version and remember the bit about needing Rockstor version of 3.9.2-51, and to be sure you can execute:

yum info rockstor

as the root user that you setup during install.

@Hooverdan and @AudioDan24 I had said 3.9.2-49 before but there was another bugfix, again provided by @Flox, that is need for this one. See the following pull request where we request this to be put on that pull request:

https://github.com/rockstor/rockon-registry/pull/190

I’ll update my previous post.

You might prefer to use “nano”, it’s pre-installed and a lot easier than vi/vim.

You could use the Web-UI embedded terminal via System → System Shell. And depending on the setting you choose (in Services - Shell In A Box, spanner icon) you may have to login as your Web-UI user first then ‘su’ to get to the root user. If you get a 502 choose the ssh which will allow direct root login. This has been improved of late as well. Just turn the service off when you are done with it to improve security.

Also if @Hooverdan hasn’t had the change make sure to edit the tag version.

Hope that helps, @Hooverdan may be able to fill in the blanks here as I’m just popping in again on this one.

I updated the tag to 9.5 in the json sample I posted earlier.

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Thank you @Hooverdan. I’ve attempted to create the .json file at the location:

/opt/rockstor/rockons-metadata

using the Shell In A Box interface is pretty slow because of the lack of direct copy/paste function however I pasted the data you sent me and edited it so that it sat exactly the same in the json file with every line break in the correct place. I then saved and exited the edit and re-opened the new file to confirm that it was there. (it was).

I then went and updated the RockOns list and nothing relating to Postgresql has appeared in my list.
One thing I haven’t confirmed with you yet: the folder location you gave me included an uppercase ‘R’ in “Rockstor”

/opt/Rockstor/rockons-metadata

whereas I used the existing /opt/rockstor/ folder with the lowercase ‘r’

I have now also tested the process creating a new file path that uses the “Rockstor” folder and after updating the Rockons list I still have no results

Unfortunately - again, due to my lack of knowledge - most of what @phillxnet wrote has gone over my head. I’m currently running Rockstor 3.9.1 and I’m not sure how to get to 3.9.2-49. I have activated the automatic updates feature but it tells me that at version 3.9.1 it is up-to-date.

I’m not quite sure where to go from here. I’d definitely like to test this method you’ve created and given what you found about the QNAP system it certainly seems like it might be viable. I just don’t have the knowledge to get there at the moment. I’m very much copy&paste with something of a top-level overview and not a real understanding of what I’m doing.

You’ve been incredibly helpful though. I appreciate the time and effort you’ve put in here.
Thank you both @Hooverdan and @phillxnet

@AudioDan24
I’m very sorry, I guess, I was typing (and thinking about metadata) and not copying from my test instance. The correct path should be:
/opt/rockstor/rockons-metastore

And you’re right, the rockstor portion is lowercase.

I corrected it all in my original post now. My apologies again. This is probably the reason why your refresh didn’t show anything …

Ah! Thank you @Hooverdan I’ve now created this new file path and placed the .json file there.

Updating has still had no effect but I now realise it might be to do with the fact that I can’t update from Rockstor 3.9.1
I may have done something this is stopping the system from updating. If I install a clean version of Rockstor and then immediately activate automatic updates should it update to 3.9.2-55 that I see on Sourceforge? Or is it a manual installation process?

@Hooverdan Sorry I seem to have missed this earlier post of your.

My mistake I’d originally said we need at least version -49 but there was another bug, which you are referencing here, where multiple different versions of a docker image for different Rock-ons caused the tag to be ignored. Sorted by @Flox now in -51. I’ve corrected my original post.

That would be great. Thanks. As it does appear we have a need for this older Postgresql version and it makes sense to offer the version requested by @AudioDan24 as they can then test that pull request also. I’d read all of that pull request for the 10.6 version though as bar one last change I think that one is pretty much ready. I may just end up popping that one in and applying the requested change myself. So lets take these in a pull request in the rockon-registry, if required. Easier to test what you have proposed also via the previously referenced Wiki entry.

Thanks again for stepping up to this one. I rather dropped the ball on the outstanding v10.6 postgresql Rock-on but we can get your version in pretty quick hopefully based on the work in that one. And I can then circle back around to sorting the v10.6 one by merging and then applying @Flox last outstanding request there.

Cheers, and again apologies for missing this earlier post of yours.

@AudioDan24 I can hopefully address this one quickly:

Our Update Channels documentation section should help here. And if you still have a question then it may help with us improving that doc section.

The newer versions of Rockstor have a few more links to those docs so they should be easier to find once our new installer is released.

As to 3.9.2-55 it will hopefully be released in the Stable channel very soon. The sourceforge references if for the source code which has now been tagged for that version and upon tagging it gets auto zipped and uploaded. The rpm releases within the Stable Channel are announced here:

for our current 3.9.2 run. But 3.9.2-55 doesn’t contain any relevant fixes for this discussion:

Hope that helps.

Hi @phillxnet,
Thank you for explaining this. When I went to the updates page on in the Rockstor Web UI I saw the Testing Updates button was red and so without thinking about it I just assumed it wasn’t available. I’ve now activated it and I’m currently updating to the most recent version.
I’ll then go through the process that @Hooverdan has laid out for me and see what I come up with. I’m excited to give this all a test.
Thank you very much! I’ll get back to you with more information when I’ve been able to get this going.

@AudioDan24 Hello again. Re:

As you are currently on our CentOS based offering the testing channel is unfortunately no longer updated. So that only gets you 4 month worth of updates on from the ISO leaving the Rockstor package at 3.9.1-16 which is still 2 year 4 months out of date. But the rest of the system will have updated. On from there for a couple of years we only did Stable Channel releases but that has change recently as we move towards being openSUSE based. The docs link I posted in my last post references this:

And the other link I referenced in that same post further details the background to this. And it doesn’t help that our Web-UI in these older versions failed to adequately link back to our docs either. So yes it does, back there, indicate that you would be running latest. But you are not. This however has also been improved upon and the language and links are now much better so in our next ISO release this should all be much clearer. These language and link improvements were mainly added:

by me in 3.9.2-52 via:

  • improve/add update channel/appman related text and doc links. Fixes #2106 @phillxnet

and by @Celtis in 3.9.2-53 by via:

With the latter addressing a similarly raised ‘latest’ misleading text issue raised by forum member @ednt.

So by the time we are done with our linux distro re-base (CentOS to openSUSE) we will again have dual Stable and Testing Channels active on a single distro base. But we are not quite there yet.

So in short you actually need to subscribe to the Stable Channel updates, but as you have already subscribed to testing you will now have been affected by a bug there where you can no long return to Stable effectively (ISO releases were based on Stable Channel releases); although it will appear to have worked it will not actually have installed the stated version.

So in short you need to read the following short forum post on moving back to Stable from testing.

This does not apply if you went straight to Stable from the ISO install as then you are remaining on more curated releases.

All a bit higgledy-piggledy I know but we are now very close to a re-launch of sorts where things will again become very simple. We are towards the end of a 3 year transition with all the associated baggage.

Hope that helps and if there is a problem with Subscribing to the Stable Channel then please contact me via PM (Private Message) here on the forum and I can hopefully get you sorted so we can move forward with sorting out this Postgresql 9.5 Rock-on that will hopefully fulfil you specific need.

Hi @phillxnet,
Sorry I haven’t been able to reply till now and thanks again for the information.
I’ve kind of lost my reference point here though. Not sure where or how to start. The website links me to the ISO image on SourceForge and that I get. Burn or restore to a USB stick and install. The 3.9.2-55 version is something else. I’m not sure how to go about installing this.

I guess for me, because I’ve spent the last three months immersing myself in Centos Linux for the soul purpose of creating a Linux-based file and project sharing system (preferably both with VPN or remote networking capabilities) for DaVinci Resolve. Centos, because that’s the only Linux distro that DaVinci Resolve officially supports.

Rockstor appealed to me because the Centos processes were becoming slightly familiar. The fact that I was able to get a Postgresql 9.5 server running along-side the Roscktor one and not interfere means I was on the right track to some degree.

If this means a shift across to an openSUSE based system then I feel like I might be going off on a tangent that’s taking away from what I’m trying to achieve. I did manage to get the Centos Rockstor to be visible via SFTP over the web which should serve our purposes well enough as a shared file server. Ideally I wanted to get Owncloud working but so far I haven’t been able to get it to connect remotely, only inside of my LAN.

The addition of the Postgresql9.5 server to this system was really just an experiment but I’m quite happy to set up a separate computer to handle it and potentially avoid undue risk to the stability of what will could become colossal databases (in the course of cutting feature-length films).

I’m very out of my depth with all of this and I might have to wait until a more consolidated version is released before I can try testing it. I also attempted to update this Centos-based version of Rockstor a few times and each time it ended with a kernel panic that stopped the system from working.

Thanks for all your help and sorry I can’t be of more assistance to you here.

@AudioDan24 Re:

If you install the ISO 3.9.1-0 select Stable Channel updates and apply them you should end up 3.9.2-55 as of writing this.

If you are only hosting the database on Rockstor then it will make now difference. That is another element of docker, it abstracts the underlying operating system. As to running DaVinci Resolve itself you can do this on what ever OS you choose. But I’m assuming you wern’t going to run this on Rockstor itself but a client machine.

Separation of concerns is always a good thing really.

OK, so this may well be where our slightly newer but still old elrepo kernel doesn’t agree with your hardware. We have seen it where the 4.10 kernel works but the 4.12 doesn’t. In which case the soon to be released Built on openSUSE variant may be more your ticket as it has a tone of backports that our 4.12 mainline form elrepo doesn’t. So folks who have this kernel issue after updating have simply selected the older kernel. But given that is a backwards step and it’s best to move forward I’d say keep an eye on our openSUSE version, which is incidentaly available in our current testing branch. But that is a lot more technical to get up and running, at least until we have our new ISO installer released.

No worries. It looks like you are being hampered by a kernel update which I hadn’t picked up on before. These can be pretty tricky and leave you with the following options:

1: Different hardware and upgrade a current Rockstor ISO to Stable.
2: Jump on our current Testing Channel via a Leap15.1 install: technically challenging but not that bad. However this is not intended for end users just yet; hence the following threads title:

I wouldn’t worry about this knowledge not being transferable. There is a great deal of overlap between the various linux distributions. And Rockstor is aiming to be very much an appliance distribution anyway so the distro we use is mostly irrelevant to the end user, especially if they resource only the Rock-ons. And there are really only 3 enterprise linux distros anyway RedHad/CentOS, Ubuntu, and SuSE/openSUSE. Of which only the latter user btrfs by default and employ the majority of the btrfs developers. This means they are the most aggressive with the btrfs backports.

Let us know what you fancy doing and if you do fancy a walk on the wild side with our “Build on openSUSE” testing channel variant, which may not suffer from the kernel issues you have just mentioned, then look to the following forum thread:

Hope that helps.

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Thanks @phillxnet
As far as I can see the stable channel updates require me to pay the 20GBP subscription and the license is based on my system ID. My government has just effectively just cancelled the entire basis of the industry I work in due to ‘the virus’. So as this is currently a testing platform for me and I haven’t yet settled on the hardware I want to use, the subscription cost isn’t feasible at the moment.

I’ll see what I can do about starting from scratch with the openSUSe build instructions you linked me to.
Thanks again.

@AudioDan24 Thanks for the update. Re:

This may be more skating to where the puck is going to be anyway and given your recent linux ventures may end up being quite approachable. Plus you get all the openSUSE/SuSE btrfs back-ports. Just remember to not create any shares on the system dive as that facility is currently broken and would anyway hamper your ability to easily re-install and import your data pool once we have our installer finalised and blessed by the openSUSE board for not infringing on their ‘marks’ (Trade marks).

Hope you manage this OK and do ask on the forum if you encounter any issues. I’d advise that you start a new forum thread however, that way once you are setup with a new testing install we can return to this one to continue the proposed Postgesql 9.5 Rock-on that @Hooverdan has already put time into.

@Hooverdan if you still fancy popping in a postgresql 9.5 Rock-on pull request we might have it ready by the time @AudioDan24 is back up and running again. Ideally we also need a quick and simple way to establish if it actually works. That way we can include this within the pull request as a proof of function step: given the usual Web-UI button is not going to server that function with such non Web-UI Rock-ons. The same might also help to finish off our outstanding Postgesql 10.6 Rock-on pull request and get that one merged as well.

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@phillxnet, @AudioDan24,
I created an issue and PullRequest for the 9.5 version of PostgreSQL.

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Thank you @Hooverdan, much appreciated.
Sorry, my entire industry has just been demolished by our government in a matter of three days so I’m caught up with trying to find work. This will unfortunately have to go on the back-burner for me for now.
Thank you again for all your help.

@AudioDan24 sorry to hear that. You’re not alone in that. Good luck and timing in finding something new quickly. Hope to see you back soon!