InfluxDB version in Grafana: update to v2?

[biva]

What’s the InfluxDB version shipped with the Grafana package?

Hello, thank you very much for the Grafana app! I understand, and I read in the script that it installs InfluxDB as a dependency. I also understand that it installs the stable version available in the Debian repository, is it correct? Does it mean that the installed version is 1.6.7? (Debian -- Details of package influxdb in bullseye) (or maybe 1.6.4 for Buster).

Do you know if it would be possible to install 2.1? (Install InfluxDB | InfluxDB OSS 2.1 Documentation)

Thanks again @JimboJoe!

[biva]

In investigated a bit further, and what I found is the following:

1. InfluxDB has repositories for Debian: InfluxDB Repository
2. Initially, they were only available for v1, but v2 has been added: How to add Influx 2.0 in my apt repo? - #9 by dan-moran - InfluxData Community Forums
3. It’s called influxdb2 now
4. I followed this tuto (How to Install and Configure InfluxDB2 in Debian 11) and it worked for me on Debian Buster (without YunoHost), notably:
   Add Influxdb gpg key using this command

wget -qO- https://repos.influxdata.com/influxdb.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/influxdb.gpg > /dev/null

Then add the repo

export DISTRIB_ID=$(lsb_release -si); export DISTRIB_CODENAME=$(lsb_release -sc)
echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/influxdb.gpg] https://repos.influxdata.com/${DISTRIB_ID,,} ${DISTRIB_CODENAME} stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/influxdb.list > /dev/null

Now update repos and install influxdb

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install influxdb2

Would it make sense to add these repositories in YunoHost? And change the dependency from influxdb to influxdb2?

[JimboJoe]

Hello,
Yes, the influxdb version is the one included in the Debian distribution. I don’t know why you’re requiring version 2, but generally we try to stick to Debian version to ensure stability (and here the package is quite oriented toward persisting netdata measures).

[biva]

Thanks @JimboJoe !

Why I need version 2? Good question! And to be honest, mainly to have the latest version

But looking around in the forums though, I have more rational arguments to analyse the differences between v1 and v2 As far as I understood:

1. The upgrade from 1.x to 2.1 looks not that easy, and it will be required at some point in the future, when 1.x won’t be maintained anymore: better to start with v2 from the beginning
2. the flux language looks like the future of Influx DB, more powerful: I’d like to start writing our queries with this, rather than changing everything in the future
3. It includes basic dashboards (I could avoid Grafana for some easy monitoring)
4. I includes an alert system (in case data collection has an issue for instance)

[JimboJoe]

The migration you’re referring to will anyway be needed for existing users…
I’m sorry but I don’t see enough convincing points to prioritize that point. But of course feel free to share your experience in upgrading to influxdb2, and even better, propose a PR

[biva]

Indeed, the migration will anyway be needed, but if this complexity can be avoided for new users, it’s always a benefit, don’t you think? In addition, the current Debian maintainer for InfluxDB doesn’t have time to update the Debian repository (https://github.com/influxdata/influxdb/issues/10638#issuecomment-1031550651). Do you think it could create (security) issues with the Debian package? Using the official InfluxData repository would solve this (even for v1).

That said, I understand that you don’t want to prioritize it. Let me try (it’s my first try, I have not a lot of coding skills) to propose some PR: https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/grafana_ynh/pull/45 and https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/grafana_ynh/pull/46 (this one is a WIP and needs support…)

Something I don’t know: is it possible to let the user choose between 2 options? In this case, between influxdb1 and influxdb2, which would be less stable?

[biva]

Hello, the InfluxDB team is super reactive and provided additional detail on the Debian package (see InfluxDB 2.0 and Debian · Issue #10638 · influxdata/influxdb · GitHub or Debian official repository for influxdb2 - #3 by mhall119 - InfluxDB 2 - InfluxData Community Forums). To summarise, there’s a big chance that the official Debian repository won’t be updated soon:

It’s likely they [Debian] simply don’t have the time or know of the demand for them to provide an updated version. InfluxData does support Debian user directly, by hosting our own APT repository and publishing updated packages there as part of our regular release process.

Don’t you think we should use the official InfluxDB repository to have an updated version, avoid security issues and benefit from the new features?