# pgBackRest Path Issue with Percona PostgreSQL Operator 2.7.0

**URL:** <https://forums.percona.com/t/pgbackrest-path-issue-with-percona-postgresql-operator-2-7-0/39173>\
**Category:** Percona Operator for PostgreSQL\
**Tags:** postgresql\
**Created:** [August 20, 2025, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/pgbackrest-path-issue-with-percona-postgresql-operator-2-7-0/39173 "2025-08-20T07:43:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ra2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@ra2](https://forums.percona.com/u/ra2)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/pgbackrest-path-issue-with-percona-postgresql-operator-2-7-0/39173/1 "2025-08-20T07:43:33Z")

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**# pgBackRest Path Issue with Percona PostgreSQL Operator 2.7.0**

## Issue Summary

The Percona PostgreSQL Operator 2.7.0 has a critical incompatibility with the pgBackRest image `percona/percona-pgbackrest:2.55.0` that prevents backups from working. The operator generates backup jobs with an incorrect binary path.

**## Environment**

- **\*\*Operator Version\*\*** : 2.7.0

- **\*\*PostgreSQL Version\*\*** : 17

- **\*\*pgBackRest Image\*\*** : percona/percona-pgbackrest:2.55.0

- **\*\*Kubernetes Version\*\*** : 1.29.x

- **\*\*Installation Method\*\*** : Helm chart

**## Problem Description**

**### 1. Binary Path Mismatch**

The operator creates backup pods with the command path `/opt/crunchy/bin/pgbackrest`, but in the Percona pgBackRest image, the binary is located at `/usr/bin/pgbackrest`.

**\*\*Error message:\*\***

```

Error: container create failed: executable file `/opt/crunchy/bin/pgbackrest` not found in $PATH: No such file or directory

```

**\*\*Verification of actual path:\*\***

```bash

$ kubectl exec postgresql-ha-repo-host-0 -n data -c pgbackrest – which pgbackrest

/usr/bin/pgbackrest

```

**### 2. Root Cause Analysis**

The Percona PostgreSQL Operator is based on the Crunchy Data PostgreSQL Operator. The path `/opt/crunchy/bin/pgbackrest` is from the original Crunchy implementation, while Percona’s pgBackRest images install the binary in the standard Linux location `/usr/bin/pgbackrest`.

**## Steps to Reproduce**

1. Install Percona PostgreSQL Operator 2.7.0:

```bash

helm repo add percona [Percona Helm Charts | percona-helm-charts](https://percona.github.io/percona-helm-charts/)

helm install percona-postgresql-operator percona/pg-operator \

–namespace data \

--version 2.7.0

```

2. Deploy a PostgreSQL cluster with backup enabled:

```yaml

apiVersion: [pgv2.percona.com/v2](http://pgv2.percona.com/v2)

kind: PerconaPGCluster

metadata:

name: postgresql-ha

spec:

postgresVersion: 17

backups:

pgbackrest:

image: percona/percona-pgbackrest:2.55.0

repos:

```auto
  - name: repo1

```

s3:

bucket: my-backup-bucket

endpoint: [s3.amazonaws.com](http://s3.amazonaws.com)

region: us-east-1

```

3. Observe backup pod failures:

```bash

$ kubectl get pods -n data | grep backup

postgresql-ha-backup-xxxxx 0/1 CreateContainerError 0 30s

$ kubectl describe pod postgresql-ha-backup-xxxxx -n data

Error: container create failed: executable file `/opt/crunchy/bin/pgbackrest` not found in $PATH

```

**## Attempted Workarounds**

**### 1. Using older pgBackRest image**

Tried `percona/percona-postgresql-operator:2.5.0-ppg16.4-pgbackrest2.53-1` which has the correct path structure, but this version doesn’t support PostgreSQL 17:

```

ERROR: [VersionNotSupportedError] unexpected control version = 1700 and catalog version = 202406281

HINT: is this version of PostgreSQL supported?

```

**### 2. Version Compatibility Matrix Issue**

- pgBackRest 2.53 (with correct path) → Doesn’t support PostgreSQL 17

- pgBackRest 2.55 (supports PG17) → Has wrong binary path for operator

**## Impact**

- **\*\*Severity\*\*** : High

- **\*\*Affected Features\*\*** : All backup and restore operations fail

- **\*\*Workaround Available\*\*** : No viable workaround without custom images or downgrading PostgreSQL

**## Expected Behavior**

The operator should generate backup job commands using the correct path `/usr/bin/pgbackrest` when using Percona pgBackRest images, or the images should maintain compatibility with the expected `/opt/crunchy/bin/pgbackrest` path.

**## Suggested Fixes**

1. **\*\*Short-term\*\*** : Add a symbolic link in the pgBackRest image:

```dockerfile

RUN mkdir -p /opt/crunchy/bin && \

```auto
ln -s /usr/bin/pgbackrest /opt/crunchy/bin/pgbackrest

```

```

2. **\*\*Long-term\*\*** : Update the operator to detect and use the correct pgBackRest path based on the image being used, or make the path configurable.

3. **\*\*Alternative\*\*** : Provide a compatibility layer or environment variable to specify the pgBackRest binary path.

**## Additional Information**

**### CRD Version Check**

```bash

$ kubectl get crd [perconapgclusters.pgv2.percona.com](http://perconapgclusters.pgv2.percona.com) -o yaml | grep “[pgv2.percona.com/version”](http://pgv2.percona.com/version%E2%80%9D)

[pgv2.percona.com/version:](http://pgv2.percona.com/version:) v2.7.0

```

**### Related Components**

- The issue appears to stem from the fork relationship between Percona’s operator and Crunchy Data’s operator

- This is likely affecting all users attempting to use PostgreSQL 17 with the Percona Operator 2.7.0

**## Questions for the Community**

1. Is there an official Percona pgBackRest image that’s compatible with both the 2.7.0 operator AND PostgreSQL 17?

2. Are there plans to fix this path discrepancy in upcoming releases?

3. Is there a recommended configuration or image combination for PostgreSQL 17 with working backups?

**## System Information**

```yaml

Operator Deployment:

Image: [docker.io/percona/percona-postgresql-operator:2.7.0](http://docker.io/percona/percona-postgresql-operator:2.7.0)

PostgreSQL Cluster:

Version: 17

Image: [docker.io/percona/percona-postgresql-operator:2.7.0-ppg17-postgres](http://docker.io/percona/percona-postgresql-operator:2.7.0-ppg17-postgres)

pgBackRest:

Image: percona/percona-pgbackrest:2.55.0

Version in Container: pgBackRest 2.55.0

```

-–

_\*This issue is preventing production deployment of PostgreSQL 17 with the Percona Operator. Any guidance or timeline for a fix would be greatly appreciated.\*_

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Natalia\_Marukovich](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forums.percona.com/natalia_marukovich/32/6407_2.png) [@Natalia\_Marukovich](https://forums.percona.com/u/Natalia_Marukovich)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2025, 7:57am UTC](https://forums.percona.com/t/pgbackrest-path-issue-with-percona-postgresql-operator-2-7-0/39173/2 "2025-08-22T07:57:54Z")

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hello, @ra2 ! Thank you for your report. I will check the issue and return to you later.