database configuration abstraction is very leaky

[CobaltCause]

lemmy/crates/utils/src/settings/mod.rs

Lines 45 to 55 in e97c30b

	pub fn get_database_url(&self) -> String {
	let conf = &self.database;
	format!(
	"postgres://{}:{}@{}:{}/{}",
	utf8_percent_encode(&conf.user, NON_ALPHANUMERIC),
	utf8_percent_encode(&conf.password, NON_ALPHANUMERIC),
	conf.host,
	conf.port,
	utf8_percent_encode(&conf.database, NON_ALPHANUMERIC),
	)
	}

This doesn't handle the use of unix domain sockets properly, for example. It looks like converting everything into a connection URI is forced upon you by the database connection management crate being used by this function signature. As such, it might be best/easiest to change

lemmy/crates/utils/src/settings/structs.rs

Line 11 in e97c30b

pub database: DatabaseConfig,

to pub database: String (which would then take a connection URI from the file without having to transform it) to reflect this, instead of trying to expose a structured interface but failing to handle the possible options.

I know the LEMMY_DATABASE_URL environment variable exists and can take a raw connection URI without transforming it, but I think the file configuration should be able to be just as powerful as the environment variable. Having to use the environment variable just to work around this issue feels pretty hacky.

[CobaltCause]

To do this in a non-breaking way,

#[serde(with = "either::serde_untagged")]
pub database: Either<String, DatabaseConfig>

could be used.

[CobaltCause]

If the maintainers are interested in a change to address this issue, I'd be happy to try to contribute it.

[Nutomic]

Sure, contributions are always welcome.