Change `PGDATA` in 18+ to `/var/lib/postgresql/MAJOR/docker`

This is a pretty large breaking change, which is why this only makes the change in 18+ (which is currently in pre-release stages, and not due for GA until September, and pre-release `PGDATA` directories are officially *not supported* on the GA release anyhow).

Concretely, this changes `PGDATA` to `/var/lib/postgresql/MAJOR/docker`, which matches the pre-existing convention/standard of the `pg_ctlcluster`/`postgresql-common` set of commands, and frankly is what we should've done to begin with, in a classic case of Chesterton's Fence (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Chesterton%27s_fence).

This also changes the `VOLUME` to `/var/lib/postgresql`, which should be more reasonable, and make the upgrade constraints more obvious.

For any users who have been testing the pre-releases, the simplest way to keep your existing data directory is going to be to add `PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/data` as an environment variable on your container or adjust your bind-mount from `/var/lib/postgresql/data` to `/var/lib/postgresql/18/docker`, but the *best* way is going to be to refactor your host directory such that your data lives at `18/docker` inside and you can then mount directly to `/var/lib/postgresql` (possibly setting `PGDATA=/var/lib/postgresql/MAJOR/docker` as well, if you want to go overboard on being explicit).

18/alpine3.21/Dockerfile

@@ -190,10 +190,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
+# NOTE: in 18+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
+#
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/18/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh

18/alpine3.22/Dockerfile

@@ -190,10 +190,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
+# NOTE: in 18+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
+#
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/18/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh

18/bookworm/Dockerfile

@@ -183,10 +183,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
+# NOTE: in 18+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
+#
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/18/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh

18/bullseye/Dockerfile

@@ -183,10 +183,13 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
-ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
+#
-# this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
+# NOTE: in 18+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
-RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
+#
-VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/18/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh

Dockerfile-alpine.template

@@ -212,10 +212,20 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
+{{ if .major >= 18 then ( -}}
+#
+# NOTE: in 18+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/{{ .major | tostring }}/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
+{{ ) else ( -}}
 ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
 # this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
 VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+{{ ) end -}}
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh

Dockerfile-debian.template

@@ -183,10 +183,20 @@ RUN set -eux; \
 
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 3777 /var/run/postgresql
 
+{{ if .major >= 18 then ( -}}
+#
+# NOTE: in 18+, PGDATA has changed to match the pg_ctlcluster standard directory structure, and the VOLUME has moved from /var/lib/postgresql/data to /var/lib/postgresql
+#
+ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/{{ .major | tostring }}/docker
+RUN ln -svT . /var/lib/postgresql/data # https://github.com/docker-library/postgres/pull/1259#issuecomment-2215477494
+VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql
+# ("/var/lib/postgresql" is already pre-created with suitably usable permissions above)
+{{ ) else ( -}}
 ENV PGDATA /var/lib/postgresql/data
 # this 1777 will be replaced by 0700 at runtime (allows semi-arbitrary "--user" values)
 RUN install --verbose --directory --owner postgres --group postgres --mode 1777 "$PGDATA"
 VOLUME /var/lib/postgresql/data
+{{ ) end -}}
 
 COPY docker-entrypoint.sh docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/
 RUN ln -sT docker-ensure-initdb.sh /usr/local/bin/docker-enforce-initdb.sh