Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-28 Thread Josh Berkus
Peter, Well, my original implementation of GUC had an empty default configuration file, which was later craptaculated to its current form based on seemingly popular demand. I am very happy to work back toward the empty state, and there appears to be growing support for that. I'd prefer a

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-28 Thread Josh Berkus
Kevin, # maintenance_work_mem = 256MB #webserver with 2GB RAM Well, that was before multiple autovacuum workers. Now, you'd want it lower. But ... it's better for vacuum to finish quickly than to drag on. Vacuum uses more I/O than it does RAM. But I'm amazed by this, too: # max_conne

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-21 Thread Peter Eisentraut
Alvaro Herrera wrote: > So, did anyone else try to generate man pages? Before we get too excited here: Man pages are only built/buildable from elements. You can't just go and convert some arbitrary section or chapter into a man page. So there is a bit of work and invention necessary here.

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-21 Thread Alvaro Herrera
David Fetter wrote: > And we're back to man pages and CHM files. So, did anyone else try to generate man pages? I did "make man" and ran into several issues. The first is that D2MDIR needs to be specified manually. I assume this is how everyone does it, so I did that. The second is that the P

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-21 Thread Peter Eisentraut
David Fetter wrote: > And we're back to man pages and CHM files. > > How big a project would that latter be? CHM files already exist. (At least I think that CHM == HTML Help == Windows help system.) -- Sent via pgsql-hackers mailing list (pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org) To make changes to your s

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread David Fetter
On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 09:08:02AM -0700, Joshua D. Drake wrote: > On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:49:39 - > "Greg Sabino Mullane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Sure, why not? Clarity should always trump brevity. The only > > people who gain from a comment-less file are the ones who are > > already e

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Tom Lane
"Greg Sabino Mullane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> So your plan is that postgresql.conf will be approximately two thousand >> lines long, before the user has ever touched it at all? (Two hundred >> or so GUC variables and ten lines of comments for each one) > Sure, why not? Clarity should alway

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Joshua Drake
On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:49:39 - "Greg Sabino Mullane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- > Hash: RIPEMD160 > Sure, why not? Clarity should always trump brevity. The only people > who gain from a comment-less file are the ones who are already expert > in it. You

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Greg Sabino Mullane
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: RIPEMD160 > One more benefit of a small file is that it makes it easier to ask someone > "please attach a copy of your postgresql.conf file"; rather than "please > send the output of "grep -v '^[]*#' postgresql.conf | grep ="" or worse > "Can you rec

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Greg Sabino Mullane
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: RIPEMD160 > So your plan is that postgresql.conf will be approximately two thousand > lines long, before the user has ever touched it at all? (Two hundred > or so GUC variables and ten lines of comments for each one) Sure, why not? Clarity should always

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Tom Lane
"Greg Sabino Mullane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > # foobar: Adjusts the foobariness of the database > # > # This uses units of baz from 1-10, with 10 being the strongest > # > # Changing this setting requires a reload > # This setting may also be changed per session > # The default value is 5 > #

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Robert Treat
On Wednesday 20 August 2008 02:22:26 Jaime Casanova wrote: > On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 9:40 PM, Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Robert Treat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >> I'd still like to see us adopt the proposal from some time ago where > >> we stop commenting out the parameters at all,

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Greg Sabino Mullane
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: RIPEMD160 >> Well, there seems to be a very substantial body of opinion that says >> we *do* need to hide "uninteresting" options. > more to the point... not just "uninteresting" but "dangerous for the > uninformed" ones... > i have seen to many people t

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Magnus Hagander
Alvaro Herrera wrote: > Dave Page wrote: >> On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 4:40 AM, Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>> I am not arguing for this but if we went down that route it does buy us >>> the ability to compartmentalize the entire conf.. so you have: >>> >>> memory_settings.conf >>> log

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Alvaro Herrera
Dave Page wrote: > On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 4:40 AM, Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I am not arguing for this but if we went down that route it does buy us > > the ability to compartmentalize the entire conf.. so you have: > > > > memory_settings.conf > > logging.conf > > maintenance.c

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Michael Paesold
Peter Eisentraut wrote: On Tuesday 19 August 2008 19:12:16 Tom Lane wrote: Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into it)? Well, my original implementation of GUC had an empty default configuration file, whi

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Dave Page
On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 4:40 AM, Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:32:34 -0400 > Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Bruce Momjian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> > On idea is for postgresql.conf to merely include other files: >> > include 'sharedmem.conf' >>

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-20 Thread Magnus Hagander
Alvaro Herrera wrote: > Dave Page wrote: >> On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 10:03 PM, Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> Alvaro Herrera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Hmm, let me suggest providing it as a manpage for postgresql.conf, i.e., you run "man postgresql.conf" and it gives you this

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Jaime Casanova
On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 9:40 PM, Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Robert Treat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> I'd still like to see us adopt the proposal from some time ago where >> we stop commenting out the parameters at all, but short of that, >> hiding options seems about the worst choice

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Bruce Momjian
Joshua Drake wrote: > On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:32:34 -0400 > Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Bruce Momjian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > On idea is for postgresql.conf to merely include other files: > > > include 'sharedmem.conf' > > > include 'compat.conf' > > > ... > > > > Tha

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:10:35 -0400 (EDT) Bruce Momjian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Another option would be to break up the conf like the above but do > > not include any of them in the main postgresql.conf (which is how I > > would argue it should be done). Thus if you want to modify logging, >

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:32:34 -0400 Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Bruce Momjian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > On idea is for postgresql.conf to merely include other files: > > include 'sharedmem.conf' > > include 'compat.conf' > > ... > > That would definitely add complexity

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
Bruce Momjian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > On idea is for postgresql.conf to merely include other files: > include 'sharedmem.conf' > include 'compat.conf' > ... That would definitely add complexity ... what would it buy in return? regards, tom lane --

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Bruce Momjian
Tom Lane wrote: > Robert Treat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > I'd still like to see us adopt the proposal from some time ago where > > we stop commenting out the parameters at all, but short of that, > > hiding options seems about the worst choice we could make. > > Well, there seems to be a very

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
Robert Treat <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I'd still like to see us adopt the proposal from some time ago where > we stop commenting out the parameters at all, but short of that, > hiding options seems about the worst choice we could make. Well, there seems to be a very substantial body of opinion

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Robert Treat
On Tuesday 19 August 2008 14:39:39 Peter Eisentraut wrote: > On Tuesday 19 August 2008 19:12:16 Tom Lane wrote: > > Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default > > postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into it)? > > Well, my original implementation of GUC had

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread daveg
On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 09:39:39PM +0300, Peter Eisentraut wrote: > On Tuesday 19 August 2008 19:12:16 Tom Lane wrote: > > Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default > > postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into it)? > > Well, my original implementation of

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread David Fetter
On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 07:12:47PM -, Greg Sabino Mullane wrote: > > I'm really not in favor of having comments in the conf file that > > try to tell you about stuff you might want to set, much less why. > > That task properly belongs to some kind of introductory chapter in > > the SGML docs.

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Alvaro Herrera
Dave Page wrote: > On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 10:03 PM, Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Alvaro Herrera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > >> Hmm, let me suggest providing it as a manpage for postgresql.conf, i.e., > >> you run "man postgresql.conf" and it gives you this manpage documenting > >> ev

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Greg Smith
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008, Josh Berkus wrote: Well, that doesn't help unless we either provide a .conf generation tool (something I favor) or docs somewhere which explain which are the variables to be the most concerned with instead of making users read through all 218 of them. The design for a pg

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Dave Page
On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 10:03 PM, Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Alvaro Herrera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> Peter Eisentraut wrote: >>> I can see that argument, but I think we can quite simply solve it if we >>> provide a plain-text version of the configuration chapter of the >>> document

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:03:48 -0400 Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Alvaro Herrera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > Peter Eisentraut wrote: > >> I can see that argument, but I think we can quite simply solve it > >> if we provide a plain-text version of the configuration chapter of > >> the do

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
Alvaro Herrera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Peter Eisentraut wrote: >> I can see that argument, but I think we can quite simply solve it if we >> provide a plain-text version of the configuration chapter of the >> documentation. > Hmm, let me suggest providing it as a manpage for postgresql.con

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Ron Mayer
Peter Eisentraut wrote: On Tuesday 19 August 2008 22:12:47 Greg Sabino Mullane wrote: Text space is cheap, I'd offer the alternative theory that anything that is longer than one screen is overwhelming and unwieldy. One more benefit of a small file is that it makes it easier to ask someone "

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:43:11 -0400 Alvaro Herrera <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Peter Eisentraut wrote: > > On Tuesday 19 August 2008 22:12:47 Greg Sabino Mullane wrote: > > > moving the documentation further away from it is the wrong idea, > > > especially if it means firing up a web browser to do

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Alvaro Herrera
Peter Eisentraut wrote: > On Tuesday 19 August 2008 22:12:47 Greg Sabino Mullane wrote: > > moving the documentation further away from it is the wrong idea, > > especially if it means firing up a web browser to do so. > > I can see that argument, but I think we can quite simply solve it if we > p

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Robert Haas
> I'm really not in favor of having comments in the conf file that try to > tell you about stuff you might want to set, much less why. That task > properly belongs to some kind of introductory chapter in the SGML docs. > Novice DBAs are unlikely even to *find* the config file, let alone look > ins

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Peter Eisentraut
On Tuesday 19 August 2008 22:12:47 Greg Sabino Mullane wrote: > moving the documentation further away from it is the wrong idea, > especially if it means firing up a web browser to do so. I can see that argument, but I think we can quite simply solve it if we provide a plain-text version of the c

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:12:47 - "Greg Sabino Mullane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Ugh, you are heading in the wrong direction. The configuration file > should be well documented: moving the documentation further away > from it is the wrong idea, especially if it means firing up a web > browser

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
"Greg Sabino Mullane" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > I like Josh B's version a lot. It's not perfect (I'd add a URL for > each config for example), but it's a great start. Josh B's approach is great until people start making changes that are unrelated to (or perhaps even contradictory to) his comme

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Greg Sabino Mullane
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: RIPEMD160 > I'm really not in favor of having comments in the conf file that try to > tell you about stuff you might want to set, much less why. That task > properly belongs to some kind of introductory chapter in the SGML docs. > Novice DBAs are unlikel

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Peter Eisentraut
On Tuesday 19 August 2008 19:12:16 Tom Lane wrote: > Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default > postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into it)? Well, my original implementation of GUC had an empty default configuration file, which was later craptaculated

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:17:46 -0500 "Kevin Grittner" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well, this sure looks scary: > > # maintenance_work_mem = 256MB #webserver with 2GB RAM I would agree. 2GB isn't that much memory as it is and that is a fairly heft amount of maintenance_work_mem. This isn't the d

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:22:34 -0400 Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'm really not in favor of having comments in the conf file that try > to tell you about stuff you might want to set, much less why. That > task properly belongs to some kind of introductory chapter in the > SGML docs. Novi

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Jonah H. Harris
On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 1:17 PM, Kevin Grittner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Josh Berkus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > But I'm amazed by this, too: > > # max_connections = 700 # web application database > > How many CPUs and spindles are you assuming there? > > My testing and experience suggest ap

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > If we move to the above route, we end up in an environment with a > single source for "official" documentation and we can always point to > that. Yeah, the fundamental point here is whether or not postgresql.conf should be trying to serve as part of our s

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Kevin Grittner
>>> Josh Berkus <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Attached is the postgresql.conf.simple I used in my presentaiton. It > has an egregious math error in it (see if you can find it) but should > give you the general idea. Well, this sure looks scary: # maintenance_work_mem = 256MB #webserver wi

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:48:20 -0400 Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default > >> postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into > >> it

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Josh Berkus
Tom, Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into it)? I've never thought that the current contents were especially useful as documentation; the kindest thing you can say about 'em is that they are duplicative of t

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Well, why not just make a one-eighty and say that the default >> postgresql.conf is *empty* (except for whatever initdb puts into it)? > I guess it would depend on what initdb puts into it. Per the code: max_connec

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:12:16 -0400 Tom Lane <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > Magnus Hagander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Yes but part of this idea is valid. The fact is the majority of the > > postgresql.conf parameters don't need to be in there by defa

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Tom Lane
Joshua Drake <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > Magnus Hagander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Using that to include a file that's full of comments anyway (which is >> all that's left in postgresql.conf at this time, I'm sure) just seems. >> Well. Sub-optimal. > Yes but part of this idea is valid. The f

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Joshua Drake
On Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:11:49 +0200 Magnus Hagander <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Alvaro Herrera wrote: > > Hans-Juergen Schoenig wrote: > > > >> alternatively we could use some sort of "#include" mechanism to > >> split "most important" and "not so important". > > > > We already have an "include"

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Magnus Hagander
Alvaro Herrera wrote: > Hans-Juergen Schoenig wrote: > >> alternatively we could use some sort of "#include" mechanism to split >> "most important" and "not so important". > > We already have an "include" mechanism. Using that to include a file that's full of comments anyway (which is all that

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Alvaro Herrera
Hans-Juergen Schoenig wrote: > alternatively we could use some sort of "#include" mechanism to split > "most important" and "not so important". We already have an "include" mechanism. -- Alvaro Herrerahttp://www.CommandPrompt.com/ PostgreSQL Replication, Consul

Re: [HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Hans-Juergen Schoenig
Peter Eisentraut wrote: I seem to recall that there was general support for installing a smaller default postgresql.conf file with only, say, a dozen parameters mentioned for initial tuning. The complete file can stay as a sample. Any objections to that? (Let's not discuss quite yet exactly

[HACKERS] A smaller default postgresql.conf

2008-08-19 Thread Peter Eisentraut
I seem to recall that there was general support for installing a smaller default postgresql.conf file with only, say, a dozen parameters mentioned for initial tuning. The complete file can stay as a sample. Any objections to that? (Let's not discuss quite yet exactly which parameters are the