Re: BUG #19562: pgcli packaged by the PostgreSQL Yum Repository:ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pgspecial' - Mailing list pgsql-bugs

Update:

On 19th Sep, 2026 the `pgcli` version `4.7.0` and
`python3-cli-helpers` version `2.15.1` were released, which partially
resolved the issue. Nevertheless, the following issues remain:

`python3-pgspecial`, `python3-tzlocal`, and `python3-prompt-toolkit`
are still not marked as strong dependencies of `pgcli` as packaged by
PGDG. This is necessary as pgcli cannot function without these python
modules.

On Tue, 21 Jul 2026 at 12:12, PG Bug reporting form
<noreply@postgresql.org> wrote:
>
> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference:      19562
> Logged by:          Pritt Balagopal
> Email address:      pritt1999@gmail.com
> PostgreSQL version: 18.4
> Operating system:   Fedora 44
> Description:
>
> This bug report does not apply to PostgreSQL 18.4, nor to pgcli either.
> Rather, it concerns the specific methodology by which pgcli is packaged for
> distribution within the PostgreSQL Yum Repository.
>
> How to reproduce the bug:
>
> Create the Fedora 44 container environment using Podman (Docker is also
> applicable here, the commands work the same way):
>
> ```
> podman create -it --name fedora44 quay.io/fedora/fedora:44 /bin/bash
> ```
>
> Run the Fedora 44 container environment, and enter its shell:
>
> ```
> podman start -ai fedora44
> ```
>
> Within the shell, run a quick `dnf update` and then proceed to import the
> PostgreSQL yum repository as outlined in:
> https://www.postgresql.org/download/linux/redhat/
>
> ```
> dnf install
> https://download.postgresql.org/pub/repos/yum/reporpms/F-44-x86_64/pgdg-fedora-repo-latest.noarch.rpm
> ```
>
> Now, install pgcli:
>
> ```
> dnf install pgcli
> ```
>
> You should see dnf prompting you for confirmation with the pgcli being
> sourced from `pgdg-common`. Accept and import GPG keys as prompted:
>
> ```
> Package                                                                 Arch
> Version
> Repository                                    Size
> Installing:
>  pgcli
> noarch          0:4.3.0-2PGDG.f44
> pgdg-common                               60.3 KiB
> Installing dependencies:
>  expat
> x86_64          0:2.8.1-1.fc44
> updates                                  327.4 KiB
>  mpdecimal
> x86_64          0:4.0.1-3.fc44
> fedora                                   217.1 KiB
>  python-pip-wheel
> noarch          0:26.0.1-2.fc44
> fedora                                     1.2 MiB
>  python3
> x86_64          0:3.14.6-1.fc44
> updates                                   28.7 KiB
>  python3-cli-helpers
> noarch          0:2.2.1-2.f44
> pgdg-common                              115.2 KiB
>  python3-cli-helpers+styles
> noarch          0:2.2.1-2.f44
> pgdg-common                                0.0   B
>  python3-click
> noarch          1:8.3.3-1.fc44
> updates                                    1.2 MiB
>  python3-configobj
> noarch          0:5.0.9-9.fc44
> fedora                                   399.3 KiB
>  python3-humanize
> noarch          0:4.15.0-2.fc44
> fedora                                   231.5 KiB
>  python3-jedi
> noarch          0:0.19.2-10.fc44
> fedora                                     5.6 MiB
>  python3-libs
> x86_64          0:3.14.6-1.fc44
> updates                                   43.9 MiB
>  python3-parso
> noarch          0:0.8.5-3.fc44
> fedora                                   900.7 KiB
>  python3-pgcli
> noarch          0:4.3.0-2PGDG.f44
> pgdg-common                              637.8 KiB
>  python3-pygments
> noarch          0:2.19.1-9.fc44
> fedora                                    11.3 MiB
>  python3-setproctitle
> x86_64          0:1.3.7-4.fc44
> fedora                                    41.7 KiB
>  python3-sqlparse
> noarch          0:0.5.3-4.fc44
> fedora                                   386.3 KiB
>  python3-tabulate
> noarch          0:0.9.0-19.fc44
> fedora                                   347.1 KiB
>  python3-tabulate+widechars
> noarch          0:0.9.0-19.fc44
> fedora                                     0.0   B
>  python3-terminaltables
> noarch          0:3.1.10-20.fc44
> fedora                                    94.7 KiB
>  python3-wcwidth
> noarch          0:0.6.0-1.fc44
> fedora                                   470.6 KiB
> Installing weak dependencies:
>  python-unversioned-command
> noarch          0:3.14.6-1.fc44
> updates
> ```
>
> Once the installation is complete, invoke the `pgcli` executable and you
> will be met with an error:
>
> ```
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "/usr/bin/pgcli", line 3, in <module>
>     from pgcli.main import cli
>   File "/usr/lib/python3.14/site-packages/pgcli/main.py", line 3, in
> <module>
>     from pgspecial.namedqueries import NamedQueries
> ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pgspecial'
> ```
>
> The fact that this module is not imported by default when `pgcli` is
> packaged for RPM is not the expected behavior. However, even if one were to
> bypass this limitation by manually installing the `pgspecial` python module
> via:
>
> ```
> dnf install python3-pgspecial
> ```
>
> This still does not solve the problem of using `pgcli` as packaged by the
> PostgreSQL Yum repository:
>
> ```
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "/usr/bin/pgcli", line 3, in <module>
>     from pgcli.main import cli
>   File "/usr/lib/python3.14/site-packages/pgcli/main.py", line 23, in
> <module>
>     from cli_helpers.tabular_output.preprocessors import (
>     ...<3 lines>...
>     )
> ImportError: cannot import name 'format_timestamps' from
> 'cli_helpers.tabular_output.preprocessors'
> (/usr/lib/python3.14/site-packages/cli_helpers/tabular_output/preprocessors.py)
> ```
>
> Note. This is NOT a bug within `pgcli` itself. Rather, this is a bug in the
> packaging of `pgcli` within the PostgreSQL Yum repository. We can verify
> this by installing `pgcli` from Fedora official repositories instead of
> `pgdg-common`. To do this, delete the previous container and begin anew.
> This time, do not import the PostgreSQL Yum Repository:
>
> ```
> dnf install pgcli
> ```
>
> ```
> Package                                                                 Arch
> Version
> Repository                                    Size
> Installing:
>  pgcli
> noarch          0:4.5.0-1.fc44
> updates                                  649.9 KiB
> Installing dependencies:
>  expat
> x86_64          0:2.8.1-1.fc44
> updates                                  327.4 KiB
>  libpq
> x86_64          0:18.0-4.fc44
> fedora                                     1.0 MiB
>  mpdecimal
> x86_64          0:4.0.1-3.fc44
> fedora                                   217.1 KiB
>  python-pip-wheel
> noarch          0:26.0.1-2.fc44
> fedora                                     1.2 MiB
>  python3
> x86_64          0:3.14.6-1.fc44
> updates                                   28.7 KiB
>  python3-cli-helpers
> noarch          0:2.10.1-1.fc44
> fedora                                   129.6 KiB
>  python3-cli-helpers+styles
> noarch          0:2.10.1-1.fc44
> fedora                                     0.0   B
>  python3-click
> noarch          1:8.3.3-1.fc44
> updates                                    1.2 MiB
>  python3-configobj
> noarch          0:5.0.9-9.fc44
> fedora                                   399.3 KiB
>  python3-libs
> x86_64          0:3.14.6-1.fc44
> updates                                   43.9 MiB
>  python3-pgspecial
> noarch          0:2.2.1-7.fc44
> fedora                                   363.8 KiB
>  python3-prompt-toolkit
> noarch          0:3.0.52-2.fc44
> fedora                                     4.2 MiB
>  python3-psycopg3
> noarch          0:3.3.4-1.fc44
> updates                                    2.0 MiB
>  python3-pygments
> noarch          0:2.19.1-9.fc44
> fedora                                    11.3 MiB
>  python3-setproctitle
> x86_64          0:1.3.7-4.fc44
> fedora                                    41.7 KiB
>  python3-sqlparse
> noarch          0:0.5.3-4.fc44
> fedora                                   386.3 KiB
>  python3-tabulate
> noarch          0:0.9.0-19.fc44
> fedora                                   347.1 KiB
>  python3-tabulate+widechars
> noarch          0:0.9.0-19.fc44
> fedora                                     0.0   B
>  python3-terminaltables
> noarch          0:3.1.10-20.fc44
> fedora                                    94.7 KiB
>  python3-tzlocal
> noarch          0:5.3.1-6.fc44
> fedora                                   125.3 KiB
>  python3-wcwidth
> noarch          0:0.6.0-1.fc44
> fedora                                   470.6 KiB
> Installing weak dependencies:
>  python-unversioned-command
> noarch          0:3.14.6-1.fc44
> updates
> ```
>
> Once the installation of pgcli from Fedora packaging has completed, invoking
> the command `pgcli` shows the expected response:
>
> ```
> connection is bad: connection to server on socket
> "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432" failed: No such file or directory
>         Is the server running locally and accepting connections on that
> socket?
> ```
>
>


-- 
Regards,
Pritt