Back to Devoured - May 25, 2026
DEVOURED
DuckDB 1.5.3: Not an Ordinary Patch Release

DuckDB 1.5.3: Not an Ordinary Patch Release

Data databaseopensourcesql DuckDB
DuckDB's v1.5.3 patch release introduces "Quack" as a core beta extension, enabling client-server database functionality and enhancing Iceberg, AWS, and HTTPS proxy support.
What: DuckDB v1.5.3, a patch release, now ships with Quack as a core extension, allowing DuckDB to operate as a client-server database. It also adds new features to the DuckLake, AWS (supporting IAM Roles for Service Accounts and RDS/Aurora IAM auth), and Iceberg extensions (MERGE INTO, INSERT/UPDATE on partitioned tables, ALTER TABLE, GEOMETRY type). Quack is in beta, with a production-ready version planned for DuckDB v2.0 in fall 2026.
Why it matters: The addition of Quack signifies DuckDB's strategic move beyond an in-process OLAP database to a more versatile client-server model, broadening its use cases for data engineers in distributed and cloud environments.
Takeaway: If you use DuckDB, consider experimenting with the new Quack extension for client-server patterns, but be aware it is still in beta and may have breaking changes before v2.0 in late 2026.
Deep dive
  • DuckDB v1.5.3 is released, containing significant new features delivered through extensions despite being a patch release.
  • The "Quack" protocol, introduced on May 12, is now a core beta extension, transforming DuckDB into a client-server database.
  • Quack enables client applications to connect to a remote DuckDB instance transparently.
  • DuckLake, DuckDB's data lake client, now supports DuckDB with Quack as its catalog database.
  • The AWS extension gains support for IAM Roles for Service Accounts (IRSA) via the web_identity chain type and IAM authentication for managed PostgreSQL databases on RDS/Aurora.
  • The HTTPS extension now respects the HTTP_PROXY environment variable for extension installs and network requests.
  • The DuckDB-Iceberg extension receives numerous updates, including MERGE INTO, INSERT and UPDATE for partitioned tables, CTAS via ADBC, and ALTER TABLE support.
  • Internal changes include shipping jemalloc as a statically linked core library on Linux for cleaner packaging and fixing the DISABLE_EXTENSION_LOAD compile-time flag.
  • Quack is expected to become production-ready with DuckDB v2.0 in fall 2026.
Decoder
  • Quack: A new remote protocol that turns DuckDB into a client-server database, allowing clients to connect to a remote DuckDB instance.
  • DuckLake: A data lake client for DuckDB.
  • IRSA (IAM Roles for Service Accounts): An AWS feature that allows Kubernetes service accounts to assume IAM roles, providing fine-grained permissions to pods.
  • ADBC (Apache Arrow Database Connectivity): A standard for high-performance data access to databases, based on Apache Arrow.
Original article

Full article content is not available for inline reading.

Read the original article →

Explore all 62 articles in today's digest

Fresh dev news, AI-digested daily. Never miss a trend at devoured.fyi