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If a FastAPI RAG backend can use pgvector locally but its database tests fail in CI, verify the PostgreSQL server the tests actually reach, confirm pgvector is installed for that server, and check that the test database has the vector extension enabled. These are separate checks: a successful local setup does not establish that CI uses the same server, extension installation, or database.
Why does pgvector work locally but fail in CI?
pgvector is a PostgreSQL extension, so it must be installed for the PostgreSQL instance used by the tests and enabled separately in each database that needs it. A mismatch can arise if CI installs pgvector for one PostgreSQL major version but the FastAPI tests connect to another server or container. A wrong connection target, missing database initialization, or a service that is not ready can also cause failures; the symptom alone does not prove a version mismatch.
The pgvector project documents installation and database-level activation as distinct parts of setup. Its installation instructions for Linux and macOS include PostgreSQL 13 and later and recommend selecting the correct pg_config when multiple PostgreSQL installations are present. Check the current instructions before relying on any version-specific package or image tag.
Find the PostgreSQL instance the tests actually use
Start with the CI workflow, the database connection URL or environment variables, and the test configuration. Determine whether the test process connects to a PostgreSQL service container, a server installed on the runner, or another endpoint. Do not infer the server version from a developer’s machine or from a package installed on the runner if the tests connect elsewhere.
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Run a version query through the same connection configuration used by the tests:
SELECT version();Compare the connected server’s PostgreSQL major version with the major version targeted by the pgvector package or service image. The pgvector GitHub Actions guide documents both major-specific runner packages and pgvector PostgreSQL image tags.
Match pgvector installation to the CI setup
When PostgreSQL runs in a service container
Use a pgvector-enabled PostgreSQL image with a tag for the intended PostgreSQL major, rather than assuming that installing pgvector on the runner changes the separate database container. The pgvector Actions guide shows this service-image approach, along with PostgreSQL environment settings and a pg_isready health check.
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GitHub’s service-container documentation explains that the right network address depends on whether the job itself runs in a container or directly on the runner. Configure the test connection for the workflow’s topology rather than copying a hostname from an unrelated example. Workflows using service containers require Linux runners.
When PostgreSQL is installed on the runner
Install the pgvector package built for the PostgreSQL major used by the runner’s server. The official Actions guide gives package examples for particular Ubuntu runner releases; those examples can become stale as runner images and packages change, so use its current instructions rather than copying a version blindly.
When building pgvector from source
If the machine has multiple PostgreSQL installations, point the build at the intended one by setting PG_CONFIG before compiling or installing. The pgvector installation instructions describe this setting; it helps avoid building against a different PostgreSQL installation from the server the tests use.
Enable the extension in the test database
Server-level availability does not mean that a particular database has activated pgvector. Connect to the exact database named in the test configuration and enable the extension there if it is absent:
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SELECT extversion FROM pg_extension WHERE extname = 'vector';Put extension creation in the test database’s initialization or migration setup so that a newly created CI database receives it consistently. The pgvector project says to enable the extension once in each database where it is needed.
Check readiness before diagnosing an extension failure
If the test fails before it can execute SQL, first check the service’s health, connection endpoint, and runner-to-container networking. A database that has not started accepting connections is a different problem from a missing extension. Both the pgvector Actions example and GitHub’s PostgreSQL service guidance show pg_isready health-check configuration.
Once the service reports ready, confirm that the test process connects to the intended database. Only then use SQL errors or extension-state queries to investigate pgvector.
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- Missing
vectortype, extension, or operator: Check whether pgvector is installed for the connected server, then check whethervectoris enabled in the database under test. - Extension fails to load after installation: Compare the PostgreSQL major and installation target; if building from source with multiple PostgreSQL installations, check
PG_CONFIG. - Connection or startup failure before SQL runs: Check service health, the configured endpoint, and workflow networking before treating the issue as a pgvector mismatch.
- Local passes but CI fails: Compare the actual server version, pgvector installation method, database initialization, and connection target in the two environments.
A missing extension is only one possible cause. Without the workflow configuration and failing log for a particular backend, the exact root cause cannot be established.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose a CI pattern that matches your testing needs
The documented approaches are to install a PostgreSQL-major-specific pgvector package on the runner or use a pgvector-enabled PostgreSQL service image. Neither approach is universally better. Choose based on which server the tests use, whether the runner or image can be pinned and updated with the extension, how the test database is initialized, and how readiness and networking are configured. If the project tests more than one PostgreSQL major, make sure each test job pairs that server with a compatible pgvector installation.
Verify the fix on the failing CI path
- Inspect the workflow, connection settings, and test configuration to identify the database endpoint.
- Query the PostgreSQL version through the test connection and align the pgvector package or image with that server.
- Check the database’s extension state and ensure initialization runs
CREATE EXTENSION vector;where needed. - Confirm the database is healthy and reachable from the job using the correct workflow networking.
- Re-run the same CI tests and verify they reach the expected database and exercise the extension.
Passing locally is not proof that the CI fix works; the corrected CI path must be the one that successfully runs the failing test.
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