Hold Off on Litestream 0.5.0
Key Takeaways
- Litestream development has resumed with the release of version 0.5.0 after a two-year pause by owner Fly.io.
- The new version introduces breaking changes, including a new backup format and a modified configuration file structure.
- The author experienced a critical bug preventing backups to Backblaze S3 endpoints, which was quickly fixed by a developer.
- The command-line flag `-if-replica-exists` was mistakenly removed in version 0.5.0, causing boot failures during restore operations.
- A new official Litestream Docker image is now available, simplifying container setup significantly.
Litestream, an open-source tool for real-time SQLite database backups to cloud storage, owned by Fly.io, has resumed active development with the release of version 0.5.0 after a nearly two-year pause dedicated to an alternative project, LiteFS. The creator, Ben Johnson, announced the shift back to Litestream, but the author's experience testing the new version on a personal project revealed several migration challenges. Key changes include a mandatory backup format update and a modification to the configuration file structure, requiring users to follow a new migration guide. The author encountered a severe bug where Backblaze S3 endpoint configuration failed validation, which was rapidly addressed by a developer, and also noted the accidental removal of the useful `-if-replica-exists` flag during the restore process. Despite these initial hurdles, the author expresses overall support for the project's revival and renewed development efforts.
