PostgreSQL pgp_sym_encrypt() broken in version 9.1 - postgresql

Question

The following works in PostgreSQL 8.4:
insert into credentials values('demo', pgp_sym_encrypt('password', 'longpassword'));
When I try it in version 9.1 I get this:
ERROR: function pgp_sym_encrypt(unknown, unknown) does not exist LINE
1: insert into credentials values('demo', pgp_sym_encrypt('pass...
^ HINT: No function matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add
explicit type casts.
*** Error ***
ERROR: function pgp_sym_encrypt(unknown, unknown) does not exist SQL
state: 42883 Hint: No function matches the given name and argument
types. You might need to add explicit type casts. Character: 40
If I try some explicit casts like this
insert into credentials values('demo', pgp_sym_encrypt(cast('password' as text), cast('longpassword' as text)))
I get a slightly different error message:
ERROR: function pgp_sym_encrypt(text, text) does not exist
I have pgcrypto installed. Does anyone have pgp_sym_encrypt() working in PostgreSQL 9.1?

Answer 1

On explanation could be that the module was installed into a schema that is not in your search path - or to the wrong database.
Diagnose your problem with this query and report back the output:
SELECT n.nspname, p.proname, pg_catalog.pg_get_function_arguments(p.oid) as params
FROM pg_catalog.pg_proc p
JOIN pg_catalog.pg_namespace n ON n.oid = p.pronamespace
WHERE p.proname ~~* '%pgp_sym_encrypt%'
AND pg_catalog.pg_function_is_visible(p.oid);
Finds functions in all schemas in your database. Similar to the psql meta-command
\df *pgp_sym_encrypt*

Answer 2

Make sure you install the extension on the desired schema.
sudo -i -u postgres
psql $database
CREATE EXTENSION pgcrypto;

Answer 3

OK, problem solved.
I was creating the pgcrypto extension as the first operation in the script. Then I dropped and added the VGDB database. That's why pgcrypto was there immediately after creating it, but didn't exist when running the sql later in the script or when I opened pgadmin.
This script is meant for setting up new databases and if I had tried it on a new database the create extension would have failed right away.
My bad. Thanks for the help, Erwin.

Answer 4

Just mention de schema where is installed pgcrypto like this:
#ColumnTransformer(forColumn = "TEST",
read = "public.pgp_sym_decrypt(TEST, 'password')",
write = "public.pgp_sym_encrypt(?, 'password')")
#Column(name = "TEST", columnDefinition = "bytea", nullable = false)
private String test;

Answer 5

I ran my (python) script again and the CREATE EXTENSION ran without error. The script also executes this command
psql -d VGDB -U postgres -c "select * from pg_available_extensions order by name"
which includes the following in the result set:
pgcrypto | 1.0 | 1.0 | cryptographic functions
So psql believes that it has installed pgcrypto.
Later in the same script when I execute
psql -d VGDB -U postgres -f sql/Create.Credentials.table.sql
where sql/Create.Credentials.table.sql includes this
insert into credentials values('demo', pgp_sym_encrypt('password', 'longpassword'));
I get this
psql:sql/Create.Credentials.table.sql:31: ERROR: function pgp_sym_encrypt(unknown, unknown) does not exist
LINE 1: insert into credentials values('demo', pgp_sym_encrypt('pass...
^
HINT: No function matches the given name and argument types. You might need to add explicit type casts.
When I open pgadmin it does not show pgcrypto in either the VGDB or postgres databases even though the query above called by psql shows that pgcrypto is installed.
Could there be an issue with needing to commit after using psql to execute the "create extension ..." command? None of my other DDL or SQL statements require a commit when they get executed with psql.
It's starting to look like psql is just flakey. Is there another way to call "create extension pgcrypto" - e.g. with Python's database support classes - or does that have to be run through psql?