Upgrade lovelace to Debian 13

[jchristgit]

This issue tracks upgrading our beloved lovelace pet server to Debian 13.

Pre-upgrade checklist

• System
  • Update to latest point release (minimum Debian 12.12 to fix SSH bug)
  • Ensure /boot is at least 768 MB big: yes, is 974 MB
  • Ensure /boot has about 300 MB free: yes, has 819 MB free
  • Ensure no configuration is in /etc/sysctl.conf
  • Ensure all sysctl conf snippets are in /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf
  • Notes
    • Prepare to update any references to old network interface names
• Users
  • Ensure nobody uses DSA keys
• Software
  • Dovecot
    • See https://doc.dovecot.org/main/installation/upgrade/2.3-to-2.4.html
    • The doveconf tool can be used to validate the configuration file
    • Upgrade to latest 2.3 release
    • Provision new configuration locally
      • Download remote configuration from lovelace
      • Install doveconf of version 2.3 locally
      • Ensure doveconf 2.3 validates the existing configuration file
      • Install doveconf of version 2.4 locally
      • Apply required configuration changes to the configuration tree
      • Ensure doveconf 2.4 validates the updated configuration file
    • Prepare locally tested changes for review in Ansible
  • Check for any important "removed packages" in a apt full-upgrade --dry-run with the new trixie sources
• Meta
  • Once all above is said and done:
  • Schedule upgrade as meeting with DevOps team
  • Announce downtime to the Python Discord Committee For Changes

Post-upgrade checklist

• System
  • SSH works
• Software
  • PostgreSQL
    • Upgrade the database cluster to version 17
  • Dovecot
    • No sieve errors can be found on mail delivery to mailboxes
    • No IMAP errors can be seen for regular client usage
  • No failed units are seen in systemctl list-units --failed
  • Agents works

Possible later tasks

• Software
  • Postfix
    • Update the compatibility level

[jb3]

Why not PostgreSQL 18? We might actually benefit from some of the query speed benefits for events later this year.

[jchristgit]

Sure, that would also work, but since we don't presently use the PostgreSQL apt repository and simply coast with the Debian stable version, I suggested the version that's going to be in trixie.

[jb3]

jc, thanks. This makes sense.

…

On 10 Nov 2025, at 17:27, jchristgit ***@***.***> wrote: jchristgit left a comment (python-discord/infra#608) <#608 (comment)>Sure, that would also work, but since we don't presently use the PostgreSQL apt repository and simply coast with the Debian stable version, I suggested the version that's going to be in trixie. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#608 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AE36DRLYOMA3T3BUS7YJKPT34DDG5AVCNFSM6AAAAACLTC7HG6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZTKMJTGAYTEMRTGE>. You are receiving this because you commented.

[jchristgit]

All is said and done. Tickets will be made for the remaining outcasts.