With the help of other users here I have finally been able to get a PieFed instance up and running! I am running 1.5.3 (Docker install) and I’ve run into one small problem…trying to manually purge deleted posts always redirects to a page indicating that an error has occurred, the post is not purged. I am not sure how I would go about debugging this, but I will certainly provide any additional information that one might need. I appreciate all the help, the best part about the fediverse for me has to be the community! 👍
Edit: included screenshot of error page.
I’ve been able to pull the logs from the system, I think this is the error that occurs in the backend when trying to purge a post on my instance. I’m not sure what it means or why it’s occurring, but it does seem to be logged every time I try to purge a deleted post.
piefed_app1 | [2026-01-27 00:58:31,192] ERROR in app: Exception on /post/51/purge [POST] piefed_app1 | Traceback (most recent call last): piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1967, in _exec_single_context piefed_app1 | self.dialect.do_execute( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | cursor, str_statement, effective_parameters, context piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py", line 952, in do_execute piefed_app1 | cursor.execute(statement, parameters) piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | psycopg2.errors.ForeignKeyViolation: update or delete on table "post" violates foreign key constraint "post_vote_post_id_fkey" on table "post_vote" piefed_app1 | DETAIL: Key (id)=(51) is still referenced from table "post_vote". piefed_app1 | piefed_app1 | piefed_app1 | The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception: piefed_app1 | piefed_app1 | Traceback (most recent call last): piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 1511, in wsgi_app piefed_app1 | response = self.full_dispatch_request() piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 919, in full_dispatch_request piefed_app1 | rv = self.handle_user_exception(e) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 917, in full_dispatch_request piefed_app1 | rv = self.dispatch_request() piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/flask/app.py", line 902, in dispatch_request piefed_app1 | return self.ensure_sync(self.view_functions[rule.endpoint])(**view_args) # type: ignore[no-any-return] piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | File "/app/app/utils.py", line 1239, in decorated_view piefed_app1 | return current_app.ensure_sync(func)(*args, **kwargs) piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | File "/app/app/post/routes.py", line 1178, in post_purge piefed_app1 | db.session.commit() piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/scoping.py", line 597, in commit piefed_app1 | return self._proxied.commit() piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 2030, in commit piefed_app1 | trans.commit(_to_root=True) piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | File "<string>", line 2, in commit piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/state_changes.py", line 137, in _go piefed_app1 | ret_value = fn(self, *arg, **kw) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 1311, in commit piefed_app1 | self._prepare_impl() piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ piefed_app1 | File "<string>", line 2, in _prepare_impl piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/state_changes.py", line 137, in _go piefed_app1 | ret_value = fn(self, *arg, **kw) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 1286, in _prepare_impl piefed_app1 | self.session.flush() piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 4331, in flush piefed_app1 | self._flush(objects) piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 4466, in _flush piefed_app1 | with util.safe_reraise(): piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/util/langhelpers.py", line 224, in __exit__ piefed_app1 | raise exc_value.with_traceback(exc_tb) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/session.py", line 4427, in _flush piefed_app1 | flush_context.execute() piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/unitofwork.py", line 466, in execute piefed_app1 | rec.execute(self) piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/unitofwork.py", line 679, in execute piefed_app1 | util.preloaded.orm_persistence.delete_obj( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | self.mapper, piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | uow.states_for_mapper_hierarchy(self.mapper, True, False), piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | uow, piefed_app1 | ^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/persistence.py", line 193, in delete_obj piefed_app1 | _emit_delete_statements( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | base_mapper, piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ...<3 lines>... piefed_app1 | delete, piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/orm/persistence.py", line 1471, in _emit_delete_statements piefed_app1 | c = connection.execute( piefed_app1 | statement, del_objects, execution_options=execution_options piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1419, in execute piefed_app1 | return meth( piefed_app1 | self, piefed_app1 | distilled_parameters, piefed_app1 | execution_options or NO_OPTIONS, piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/sql/elements.py", line 527, in _execute_on_connection piefed_app1 | return connection._execute_clauseelement( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | self, distilled_params, execution_options piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1641, in _execute_clauseelement piefed_app1 | ret = self._execute_context( piefed_app1 | dialect, piefed_app1 | ...<8 lines>... piefed_app1 | cache_hit=cache_hit, piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1846, in _execute_context piefed_app1 | return self._exec_single_context( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | dialect, context, statement, parameters piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1986, in _exec_single_context piefed_app1 | self._handle_dbapi_exception( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | e, str_statement, effective_parameters, cursor, context piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 2363, in _handle_dbapi_exception piefed_app1 | raise sqlalchemy_exception.with_traceback(exc_info[2]) from e piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/base.py", line 1967, in _exec_single_context piefed_app1 | self.dialect.do_execute( piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^ piefed_app1 | cursor, str_statement, effective_parameters, context piefed_app1 | ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | ) piefed_app1 | ^ piefed_app1 | File "/usr/local/lib/python3.13/site-packages/sqlalchemy/engine/default.py", line 952, in do_execute piefed_app1 | cursor.execute(statement, parameters) piefed_app1 | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ piefed_app1 | sqlalchemy.exc.IntegrityError: (psycopg2.errors.ForeignKeyViolation) update or delete on table "post" violates foreign key constraint "post_vote_post_id_fkey" on table "post_vote" piefed_app1 | DETAIL: Key (id)=(51) is still referenced from table "post_vote". piefed_app1 | piefed_app1 | [SQL: DELETE FROM post WHERE post.id = %(id)s] piefed_app1 | [parameters: {'id': 51}] piefed_app1 | (Background on this error at: https://sqlalche.me/e/20/gkpj)Ah yes, I know this one. I wasn’t sure how widespread it was but it seems worse than I hoped. I’ll get a fix out shortly.
Basically, it is saying that it can’t delete the post because that post’s row in the database is still being referenced somewhere else in the database. In this case, it is being referenced by rows in the table where we store votes for the post.
This is the same issue that popped up recently for another user. For whatever reason, sometimes the database misses setting the deletes for post and comment votes to cascade properly. I tried and couldn’t replicate the issue in my test environment. rimu is probably making a new database migration that will apply it again and that should fix it.