simplex-chat-nodejs: add PostgreSQL backend build support (#6845)

* simplex-chat-nodejs: add PostgreSQL backend build support * simplex-chat-nodejs: fix postgres install command in README
2026-04-25 14:12:27 +00:00 · 2026-04-23 08:00:13 +00:00
parent b967cacc11
commit a3fde4daa1
4 changed files with 168 additions and 8 deletions
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -377,6 +377,100 @@ jobs:
            exit 1
          fi

+# =================================
+#   Linux PostgreSQL Library Build
+# =================================
+
+  build-linux-postgres:
+    name: "ubuntu-22.04-x86_64 (Postgres lib), GHC: ${{ needs.variables.outputs.GHC_VER }}"
+    needs: [maybe-release, variables]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout Code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
+      - name: Get UID and GID
+        id: ids
+        run: |
+          echo "uid=$(id -u)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          echo "gid=$(id -g)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
+      - name: Free disk space
+        shell: bash
+        run: ./scripts/ci/linux_util_free_space.sh
+
+      - name: Restore cached build
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.cabal/store
+            dist-newstyle
+          key: ubuntu-22.04-x86_64-postgres-ghc${{ needs.variables.outputs.GHC_VER }}-${{ hashFiles('cabal.project', 'simplex-chat.cabal') }}
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: simplex-chat/docker-setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Build and cache Docker image
+        uses: simplex-chat/docker-build-push-action@v6
+        with:
+          context: .
+          load: true
+          file: Dockerfile.build
+          tags: build/22.04:latest
+          build-args: |
+            TAG=22.04
+            HASH=sha256:5c8b2c0a6c745bc177669abfaa716b4bc57d58e2ea3882fb5da67f4d59e3dda5
+            GHC=${{ needs.variables.outputs.GHC_VER }}
+            USER_UID=${{ steps.ids.outputs.uid }}
+            USER_GID=${{ steps.ids.outputs.gid }}
+
+      - name: Start container
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          docker run -t -d \
+            --name builder \
+            -v ~/.cabal:/root/.cabal \
+            -v /home/runner/work/_temp:/home/runner/work/_temp \
+            -v ${{ github.workspace }}:/project \
+            build/22.04:latest
+
+      - name: Prepare cabal.project.local
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          echo "ignore-project: False"    >> cabal.project.local
+          echo "package direct-sqlcipher" >> cabal.project.local
+          echo "    flags: +openssl"      >> cabal.project.local
+
+      - name: Build postgres library
+        shell: docker exec -t builder sh -eu {0}
+        run: |
+          cabal clean
+          cabal update
+          scripts/desktop/build-lib-linux.sh postgres
+
+      - name: Copy libs from container
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          ARCH=x86_64
+          GHC_VER=${{ needs.variables.outputs.GHC_VER }}
+          BUILD_DIR=$(echo dist-newstyle/build/${ARCH}-linux/ghc-${GHC_VER}/simplex-chat-*)
+          mkdir -p postgres-libs
+          cp ${BUILD_DIR}/build/libsimplex.so postgres-libs/
+          cp ${BUILD_DIR}/build/deps/* postgres-libs/
+
+      - name: Upload postgres libs artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: simplex-libs-linux-postgres-x86_64
+          path: postgres-libs/
+
+      - name: Fix permissions for cache
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          sudo chmod -R 777 dist-newstyle ~/.cabal
+          sudo chown -R $(id -u):$(id -g) dist-newstyle ~/.cabal
+
 # =========================
 #        MacOS Build
 # =========================
@@ -613,7 +707,7 @@ jobs:

  release-nodejs-libs:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: [build-linux, build-macos]
+    needs: [build-linux, build-linux-postgres, build-macos]
    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') && (!cancelled())
    steps:
      - name: Checkout current repository
@@ -622,6 +716,13 @@ jobs:
      - name: Install packages for archiving
        run: sudo apt install -y msitools gcc-mingw-w64

+      - name: Download postgres libs artifact
+        if: needs.build-linux-postgres.result == 'success'
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: simplex-libs-linux-postgres-x86_64
+          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/postgres-libs
+
      - name: Build archives
        run: |
          INIT_DIR='${{ runner.temp }}/artifacts'
@@ -678,6 +779,17 @@ jobs:
          zip -r "${PREFIX}-windows-x86_64.zip" libs
          mv "${PREFIX}-windows-x86_64.zip" "$RELEASE_DIR" && cd "$INIT_DIR"

+          # Linux PostgreSQL (only if postgres build succeeded)
+          # -------------------------------------------------
+          POSTGRES_LIBS='${{ runner.temp }}/postgres-libs'
+          if [ -d "$POSTGRES_LIBS" ]; then
+            mkdir -p linux-postgres/libs
+            cp "${POSTGRES_LIBS}"/*.so linux-postgres/libs/
+            cd linux-postgres
+            zip -r "${PREFIX}-linux-x86_64-postgres.zip" libs
+            mv "${PREFIX}-linux-x86_64-postgres.zip" "$RELEASE_DIR" && cd "$INIT_DIR"
+          fi
+
      - name: Create release in libs repo and upload artifacts
        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v2
        with:
--- a/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/README.md
+++ b/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/README.md
@@ -62,6 +62,32 @@ There is an example with more options in [./examples/squaring-bot.ts](./examples

 You can run it with: `npx ts-node ./examples/squaring-bot.ts`

+## PostgreSQL backend
+
+By default, the package uses SQLite. To use PostgreSQL instead:
+
+```bash
+npm install simplex-chat --simplex_backend=postgres
+```
+
+Or persist the setting in `.npmrc`:
+
+```ini
+simplex_backend=postgres
+```
+
+### Prerequisites (PostgreSQL)
+
+- `libpq5` must be installed on the host system (`apt install libpq5` on Debian/Ubuntu)
+- PostgreSQL backend is only available for Linux x86_64
+- A PostgreSQL server accessible via connection string
+
+### API difference
+
+With the PostgreSQL backend, `chatMigrateInit` arguments change meaning:
+- First argument: schema prefix (instead of DB file prefix)
+- Second argument: connection string (instead of encryption key)
+
 ## Documentation

 The library docs are [here](./docs/README.md).
--- a/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/src/download-libs.js
+++ b/packages/simplex-chat-nodejs/src/download-libs.js
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ const extract = require('extract-zip');

 const GITHUB_REPO = 'simplex-chat/simplex-chat-libs';
 const RELEASE_TAG = 'v6.5.0-beta.9';
+const BACKEND = (process.env.SIMPLEX_BACKEND || process.env.npm_config_simplex_backend || 'sqlite').toLowerCase();
+
+if (BACKEND !== 'sqlite' && BACKEND !== 'postgres') {
+  console.error(`✗ Invalid SIMPLEX_BACKEND: "${BACKEND}". Must be "sqlite" or "postgres".`);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
+if (BACKEND === 'postgres' && (process.platform !== 'linux' || process.arch !== 'x64')) {
+  console.error(`✗ SIMPLEX_BACKEND=postgres is only supported on Linux x86_64.`);
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+
 const ROOT_DIR = process.cwd(); // Root of the package being installed
 const LIBS_DIR = path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'libs')
 const INSTALLED_FILE = path.join(LIBS_DIR, 'installed.txt');
@@ -56,11 +68,12 @@ function isAlreadyInstalled() {

  try {
    const installedVersion = fs.readFileSync(INSTALLED_FILE, 'utf-8').trim();
-    if (installedVersion === RELEASE_TAG) {
-      console.log(`✓ Libraries version ${RELEASE_TAG} already installed`);
+    const expectedVersion = `${RELEASE_TAG}:${BACKEND}`;
+    if (installedVersion === expectedVersion) {
+      console.log(`✓ Libraries version ${RELEASE_TAG}:${BACKEND} already installed`);
      return true;
    } else {
-      console.log(`Version mismatch: installed ${installedVersion}, need ${RELEASE_TAG}`);
+      console.log(`Version mismatch: installed ${installedVersion}, need ${expectedVersion}`);
      cleanLibsDirectory();
      return false;
    }
@@ -79,12 +92,14 @@ async function install() {

    const { platformName, archName } = getPlatformInfo();
    const repoName = GITHUB_REPO.split('/')[1];
-    const zipFilename = `${repoName}-${platformName}-${archName}.zip`;
+    const backendSuffix = BACKEND === 'postgres' ? '-postgres' : '';
+    const zipFilename = `${repoName}-${platformName}-${archName}${backendSuffix}.zip`;
    const ZIP_URL = `https://github.com/${GITHUB_REPO}/releases/download/${RELEASE_TAG}/${zipFilename}`;
    const ZIP_PATH = path.join(ROOT_DIR, zipFilename);
    const TEMP_EXTRACT_DIR = path.join(ROOT_DIR, '.temp-extract');

    console.log(`Detected: ${platformName} ${archName}`);
+    console.log(`Backend: ${BACKEND}`);
    console.log(`Downloading: ${zipFilename}`);

    // Create libs directory
@@ -124,8 +139,8 @@ async function install() {
    }

    // Write installed.txt with version
-    fs.writeFileSync(INSTALLED_FILE, RELEASE_TAG, 'utf-8');
-    console.log(`✓ Wrote version ${RELEASE_TAG} to installed.txt`);
+    fs.writeFileSync(INSTALLED_FILE, `${RELEASE_TAG}:${BACKEND}`, 'utf-8');
+    console.log(`✓ Wrote version ${RELEASE_TAG}:${BACKEND} to installed.txt`);

    // Cleanup
    fs.rmSync(TEMP_EXTRACT_DIR, { recursive: true, force: true });
--- a/scripts/desktop/build-lib-linux.sh
+++ b/scripts/desktop/build-lib-linux.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ function readlink() {

 OS=linux
 ARCH="$(uname -m)"
+DATABASE_BACKEND="${1:-sqlite}"
 GHC_VERSION=9.6.3

 if [ "$ARCH" == "aarch64" ]; then
@@ -25,7 +26,13 @@ for elem in "${exports[@]}"; do count=$(grep -R "$elem$" libsimplex.dll.def | wc
 for elem in "${exports[@]}"; do count=$(grep -R "\"$elem\"" flake.nix | wc -l); if [ $count -ne 2 ]; then echo Wrong exports in flake.nix. Add \"$elem\" in two places of the file; exit 1; fi ; done

 #rm -rf $BUILD_DIR
-cabal build lib:simplex-chat --ghc-options='-optl-Wl,-rpath,$ORIGIN -optl-Wl,-soname,libsimplex.so -flink-rts -threaded' --constraint 'simplexmq +client_library' --constraint 'simplex-chat +client_library'
+if [[ "$DATABASE_BACKEND" == "postgres" ]]; then
+    echo "Building with postgres backend..."
+    cabal build lib:simplex-chat --ghc-options='-optl-Wl,-rpath,$ORIGIN -optl-Wl,-soname,libsimplex.so -flink-rts -threaded' --constraint 'simplexmq +client_library +client_postgres' --constraint 'simplex-chat +client_library +client_postgres'
+else
+    echo "Building with sqlite backend..."
+    cabal build lib:simplex-chat --ghc-options='-optl-Wl,-rpath,$ORIGIN -optl-Wl,-soname,libsimplex.so -flink-rts -threaded' --constraint 'simplexmq +client_library' --constraint 'simplex-chat +client_library'
+fi
 cd $BUILD_DIR/build
 mv libHSsimplex-chat-*-inplace-ghc${GHC_VERSION}.so libsimplex.so 2> /dev/null || true
 #patchelf --add-needed libHSrts_thr-ghc${GHC_VERSION}.so libsimplex.so