Feature Gate: Enable the `ExtendProgram` ix for the bpf upgradeable loader

[jstarry]

Description

See #26386

Add a feature gate to enable a new ExtendProgram instruction which is permission less and allows extending the program data by a specified number of bytes so that developers don't need to pre-allocate program data accounts.

Note

Do NOT activate this before enable program redeployment cooldown.

Feature ID

8Zs9W7D9MpSEtUWSQdGniZk2cNmV22y6FLJwCx53asme

Activation Method

Single Core Contributor

Minimum Version

v1.16.0

Testnet Activation Epoch

492

Devnet Activation Epoch

547

Mainnet-Beta Activation Epoch

532

[mgild]

What is eta for this?

[jstarry]

What is eta for this?

Needs to get reviewed, audited, and then activated via feature gate. I'm hoping to get this feature into v1.11 and will activate it once each cluster is fully upgraded to that version.

[codestoned1]

thanks for working on this @jstarry! any guidance on earliest possible 1.11 release?

[jstarry]

thanks for working on this @jstarry! any guidance on earliest possible 1.11 release?

It will be enabled on testnet soon but it's quite difficult to predict when mainnet will be updated to v1.11 at this time

[mardragon]

It's great change @jstarry. Will solana program deploy CLI command handle resizing automatically ?

In description you wrote "extending", I assume we can also shrink it and recover unused SOL ?

[jstarry]

Will solana program deploy CLI command handle resizing automatically ?

That would be a nice feature, but not implemented yet in the CLI

I assume we can also shrink it and recover unused SOL ?

The length of the program data isn't stored in the metadata so it's not possible to know how much data can be shrunk safely. That could be implemented though and added as a separate feature.

[iurage]

@jstarry Would you have any idea when this would hit mainnet?

[jstarry]

@jstarry Would you have any idea when this would hit mainnet?

When mainnet is running v14.. hopefully not too long but it could take months

[Timikcool]

@jstarry Would you have any idea when this would hit mainnet?

When mainnet is running v14.. hopefully not too long but it could take months

sheesh we need it a lot

[enzoampil]

hope this is out soon, badly needed for our side as well

[ADBalici]

Yeah also hope this is deployed soon.

[dr497]

Is there a rough ETA for when it will be deployed?

[mvines]

This gate is on the schedule at https://github.com/solana-labs/solana/wiki/Feature-Gate-Activation-Schedule, and is the 25th (if I counted right) feature gate in the 1.14 release line. So best case, it'll be activated 25 epochs after mainnet adopts the 1.14 release line

[Lichtso]

Sorry everybody who has been patiently waiting. We will have to delay this until we fix our executor cache (https://github.com/solana-labs/solana/issues/29803).

[ilmoi]

@Lichtso do you have a rough timeline in mind?

[Lichtso]

do you have a rough timeline in mind?

It is making good progress so we should have something on testnet by the next release cycle. Though it will take a lot longer until it hits MNB. Unfortunately our current design makes it hard to implement this right.

---

@ilmoi @dr497 @ADBalici @enzoampil @Timikcool @iurage @mardragon @zlex7 @mgild Hate to ping you all like this, but if you are still interested in improving the program management workflow, I would like some feedback on the design of our new loader built-in program, which also comes with a new program management workflow over here: #30464

[blockiosaurus]

Are there any updates on the timeline of this feature? It looks like it got pushed back several minor versions but we're really hurting for more binary space.

[FoxyDev42]

Would like an update on this too, out of space on multiple programs, very hard to fit in due to evolving metaplex updates and stuff.

[mvines]

This feature is still on the master branch, will ship in the v1.16 release line. When this reaches mainnet depends on how quickly the validators choose to adopt the v1.14 release so that we can begin stabilizing v1.16

[Flawm]

excellent

[Lichtso]

It is place 3 in the Feature-Gate-Activation-Schedule of MNB so should be in the next few weeks.

[jstarry]

FYI this feature was activated a few days ago in epoch 532 on mainnet-beta

[ksolana]

okay to close it then?

[jstarry]

Once the feature gate code is cleaned up it will be closed