docker-library / docker-library/docs
Documentation is confusing in relation to setting PGDATA for older versions of PostgreSQL
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Description
The documentation says:
Users who wish to opt-in to this change on older releases can do so by setting PGDATA explicitly (--env PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/17/docker --volume some-postgres:/var/lib/postgresql ). To migrate pre-existing data, adjust the volume's folder structure appropriately first (moving all database files into a PG_MAJOR/docker subdirectory).
It then goes on to say:
Important Note: (for PostgreSQL 17 and below) Mount the data volume at /var/lib/postgresql/data and not at /var/lib/postgresql because mounts at the latter path WILL NOT PERSIST database data when the container is re-created. The Dockerfile that builds the image declares a volume at /var/lib/postgresql/data and if no data volume is mounted at that path then the container runtime will automatically create an anonymous volume that is not reused across container re-creations. Data will be written to the anonymous volume rather than your intended data volume and won't persist when the container is deleted and re-created.
Surely give what the second paragraph says, the first paragraph should read:
Users who wish to opt-in to this change on older releases can do so by setting PGDATA explicitly (--env PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/17/docker --volume some-postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data ). To migrate pre-existing data, adjust the volume's folder structure appropriately first (moving all database files into a PG_MAJOR/docker subdirectory).
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First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Search the PostgreSQL image documentation for the quoted PGDATA and volume-mount paragraphs, then compare their paths and migration instructions. Done means the older-version opt-in example is consistent with the warning about persistence and the surrounding wording remains accurate.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- docker, postgresql
- Domain
- databases, devops, documentation
- Issue type
- Documentation
- Difficulty
- 1/5
- Estimated time
- Under an hour
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 55/100