## Problem
The documentation currently lists Docker Desktop as the preferred option
for all platforms, but OrbStack is a superior alternative on macOS that
offers better performance (faster startup, lower CPU/memory/disk usage).
Users on macOS should be guided toward OrbStack first.
## Solution
Reordered and updated the container runtime recommendations to:
1. Highlight OrbStack as the recommended option specifically for macOS
2. Position Docker Desktop as the recommended option for Windows and
Linux
3. Moved OrbStack higher in the list to reflect its priority on macOS
4. Added a dedicated paragraph in the CLI getting started guide
explaining OrbStack's benefits and why it's recommended over Docker
Desktop on macOS
The changes improve the developer experience by directing macOS users
toward the more performant option while maintaining clear guidance for
other platforms.
## Review instructions
1. Open the preview links for the modified documentation pages
2. Verify that OrbStack is now listed first and marked as "recommended
on macOS"
3. Verify that Docker Desktop is now marked as "recommended on Windows
and Linux"
4. Check the CLI getting started guide to confirm the new paragraph
about OrbStack's benefits is clear and helpful
5. Ensure the information is consistent across both modified files
## Checklist
- [x] I have read
[CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/supabase/supabase/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)
- [x] Documentation changes follow the docs style guide
https://claude.ai/code/session_01Nbp9LwhMkqxEvQJzEVUbwt
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **Documentation**
* Updated local development guidance to recommend OrbStack for macOS and
Docker Desktop for Windows and Linux.
* Clarified that OrbStack supports extended file attributes on mounted
volumes and container networking, and added startup and resource-use
comparisons with Docker Desktop.
* Listed Rancher Desktop and Podman as alternatives; the CLI guide also
lists Colima.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
## I have read the
[CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/supabase/supabase/blob/master/CONTRIBUTING.md)
file.
YES
## What kind of change does this PR introduce?
Docs update.
## What is the current behavior?
Linear:
[CLI-1618](https://linear.app/supabase/issue/CLI-1618/update-cli-workflow-docs-for-pg-delta-default-diffing)
Four docs pages lag the shipped CLI behavior now that `pg-delta` is the
default diff engine for projects created by a recent `supabase init`:
- **CLI workflows** claims `db diff` compares `supabase/schemas/`
against migrations. Under `pg-delta`, declarative files are never the
`db diff` baseline (and `[db.migrations].schema_paths` no longer changes
it) — the declarative flow goes through `supabase db schema declarative
sync`. The cleanup guidance describes `migra`-era output.
- **Declarative database schemas** teaches the old `db diff -f` +
`schema_paths` flow throughout, and its known-caveats list is the
`migra` issue list.
- **Managing environments** still presents `--use-migra` as an
"experimental flag" for a "more concise" diff — inverted now.
- **Backup and restore (migrating within Supabase)** and the CLI
workflows guide both steer users to `db diff`/`db pull` with `--schema
auth,storage`. Under `pg-delta`, `--schema` layers an extra exclude
policy on top of the Supabase profile: it can only narrow a diff, never
re-include managed schemas, and managed-schema selections can even fail
closed (e.g. `--schema auth` when a trigger function lives in `public`).
Unfiltered diffs are the supported path.
## What is the new behavior?
All claims verified against the CLI source at current `develop` —
including supabase/cli#6300, which upgraded the engine to
`@supabase/pg-delta` 1.0.0-alpha.46 — against the pinned pg-delta
package source (profile rules, format defaults, coverage doc), and
against a live dogfood run of the documented workflows on `develop`
`38f31b4` (two OSS corpus projects, warm shadow cache).
- **`cli-workflows.mdx`**: adds a "Which diff engine you're on" note
(`pg-delta` for new `supabase init` projects, `migra` for existing ones
until they opt in by adding `[experimental.pgdelta] enabled = true`;
per-run fallbacks `--use-migra` on `db diff` / `--diff-engine migra` on
`db pull`); corrects `db pull` and `db diff` mechanics (shadow built
from migrations vs. live database; the baseline history record is
offered, not unconditional); switches the declarative flow to `supabase
db schema declarative sync`; reworks the cleanup section around pg-delta
output (uppercase keywords at max width 180, `format_options`, per-unit
migration files with numeric segment suffixes, the `-- pg-delta:
transaction=false` directive on genuinely non-transactional files,
engine-neutral grant/revoke review guidance, coverage warnings +
`--strict-coverage`); documents what pg-delta captures in managed
schemas (user triggers, RLS policies on `auth` tables and on
`storage.objects`/`storage.buckets`/`realtime.messages`) versus what it
doesn't; adds key-command rows for the declarative commands and
troubleshooting entries (`db pull` non-zero exit when in sync, the
`schema_paths` warning, `PGDELTA_DEBUG=1` bundles under
`supabase/.temp/pgdelta/v2/debug/`).
- **`declarative-database-schemas.mdx`**: swaps `db diff -f` for `db
schema declarative sync -f` throughout; replaces
lexicographic/`schema_paths` ordering guidance with automatic dependency
ordering and the `generate` export layout (`_cluster/`, reserved
`_custom/`); bootstraps from production via `db schema declarative
generate --linked` (explicit target + `--overwrite` in scripts) and
refreshes via `db pull --declarative`; rewrites known caveats for
pg-delta (DML including storage buckets, untracked object kinds + the
`_custom/` escape hatch, managed schemas, extension-managed objects, and
the two gates when adopting an existing schema tree:
`[experimental.webhooks]` for `pg_net` migrations and declaring the
tree's extensions) keeping the `migra` workflow and issue list under a
legacy section for projects that haven't enabled it.
- **`managing-environments.mdx`**: frames the verbose grant sample as
legacy-engine output, notes that generated migrations can include grant
statements on any engine, describes `--use-migra` as a single-run
fallback, and adds a `db diff --strict-coverage` CI step.
- **`backup-restore.mdx`**: replaces `db diff --linked --schema
auth,storage` with a plain `db diff --linked` on `pg-delta` (keeping the
`--schema auth,storage` form for the legacy engine) and explains what
the engine includes (user triggers on managed tables, user RLS policies
on `auth`, `storage.objects`/`storage.buckets`/`realtime.messages`) and
what must be recreated manually.
- **New `diff-engines.mdx` page** (from #49889): the single home for how
the engine is selected, a behavior matrix for `pg-delta` versus `migra`,
the per-command fallback flags, a procedure for switching an existing
project (the first `db pull` after enabling may write a catch-up
migration), and how to go back with `enabled = false`. Registered in
navigation. A shared `diff_engine_check` partial replaces the inline
engine parentheticals across seven pages, and a
`managed_schemas_diff_capture` partial carries the managed-schema
capture rules.
- **CLI reference (`cli_v1_commands.yaml`, `cli_v1_config.yaml`)**: `db
pull`, `db schema declarative sync`/`generate` flags and descriptions,
`experimental.pgdelta.*` and `db.migrations.schema_paths` config keys,
and the `db diff` description updated to describe both engines. Note
that `cli_v1_commands.yaml` is generated from the CLI repo;
[supabase/cli#6557](https://github.com/supabase/cli/pull/6557) carries
the matching `db pull` example and overlay text so the next publish
keeps it.
- **`examples/prompts/declarative-database-schema.md`**: rewritten for
the `db schema declarative sync` flow, with the `[experimental.pgdelta]`
prerequisite.
## Additional context
The first draft was written against pg-delta 1.0.0-alpha.42.
supabase/cli#6300 (engine upgrade to alpha.46) then changed two
documented behaviors, both reflected here: generated SQL now defaults to
uppercase pretty-printed keywords, and user RLS policies on
`storage.objects`/`storage.buckets`/`realtime.messages` are included via
the engine's `SUPABASE_USER_POLICY_SURFACES` allowlist. A follow-up
dogfood run on `develop` `38f31b4` then falsified three more claims
(pg-delta emits no grant noise, `_schema_changes`/`_after_enum_values`
multi-file names, directive on every split file), all corrected in the
last commit.
**Update (Sep 14 to 17):**
[#49889](https://github.com/supabase/supabase/pull/49889) and
[#50220](https://github.com/supabase/supabase/pull/50220) were merged
into this branch, so this PR now carries the full stack. #50220
corrected the `schema_paths` warning wording (the CLI warns only when
the setting lists paths), added `auth` RLS policies to the
managed-schema partial, and described the migra initial pull accurately
(the `pg_dump` skips managed schemas and the migra diff pass that
follows appends the trigger and policy changes). It also reframed
`pg-delta` as the default for every project ahead of supabase/cli#6391.
That plan changed: no breaking default flip before Select, so
[#50332](https://github.com/supabase/supabase/pull/50332) restores the
opt-in framing (`pg-delta` requires `[experimental.pgdelta] enabled =
true`, which `supabase init` writes for new projects) and also resolves
the four CodeRabbit findings from the latest review round.
Two claims are pending confirmation from the owning teams: that
branching runs every migration in a transaction and ignores the `--
pg-delta: transaction=false` directive, and the `--db-url`
pooler-versus-direct connection advice, which currently disagrees with
the CLI's own `db pull` docs.
Stale spots found in the CLI repo's own docs while verifying (out of
scope here, worth follow-ups): four `SIDE_EFFECTS.md` files still claim
lowercase output, `docs/supabase/db/diff.md` still lists `migra`-era
"known failure cases" that alpha.46 fully models, the `supabase init`
template's commented `format_options` example shows `maxWidth: 80`
against an actual default of 180, and the CLI upgrade recipe appends
`--experimental` even when the config already enables pg-delta.
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
https://claude.ai/code/session_01SUuaVmXLRbV6tZjzhka3cp
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **Documentation**
* Clarified `pg-delta` and legacy `migra` behavior, configuration, and
switching guidance.
* Expanded declarative schema workflows, including synchronization,
migration generation, baselines, deployment, and legacy-engine support.
* Documented managed schemas, permissions, extensions, transaction
handling, dependency ordering, and troubleshooting.
* Added guidance for strict coverage checks, output directories,
non-interactive workflows, and declarative pull modes.
* Added a dedicated diff engines guide and updated CLI navigation,
backup and restore, branching, deployment, and CI documentation.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Wen Bo Xie <wenbox323@gmail.com>
## I have read the CONTRIBUTING.md file.
YES
## What kind of change does this PR introduce?
Docs update
## What is the current behavior?
- The React quickstart example does not handle errors when fetching
data.
- The local development guide uses inconsistent capitalization for
"docker".
## What is the new behavior?
- Adds basic error handling (`error` check) in the React quickstart
example to improve reliability.
- Fixes capitalization from "docker" → "Docker" for consistency with
official naming.
## Additional context
These are small improvements to enhance clarity and developer experience
in the docs.
<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
* **Documentation**
* Enhanced React quickstart guide with error handling for database
queries to prevent invalid data processing
* Corrected capitalization in local development guide
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
