Re: Improving postgresql.conf

On Wed, Jun 09, 2004 at 07:53:19PM +0530, Shridhar Daithankar wrote:
> 
> Well, the statement 'postgresql.conf outside data directory' isn't going to 
> win I think.

One day there won't be any data directory because the data will be
on raw partitions. Then you will _have_ to have the configuration
somewhere else. Ideally, only the absolute minimum of parameters
needed to start the server ought to be in the external configuration.
Everything else may happily reside within the database storage.

> Let me put it in a different way. What you are asking is a service 
> configuration file. It is *not* same as current postgresql configuration 
> file. It will/should be unique to a perticular installation of postgresql. 
> i.e. something like /etc/postgresql/7.4.2/service.conf

Why? The administrator may want to run second cluster on the same
machine, share a couple of options using "include" directive while
preserving separate configuration, including the location of data
store, for things that should be different for each of these
clusters.

> I think it is a rather good idea to add service configuration to default 

What is that "service" you mention?

> Also pulling postgresql.conf out of cluster has a drawback. All the 
> clusters would have to share same tuning parameters which is not exactly 
> ideal.

Why would they _have_ to? Pulling postgresql.conf out of cluster only
means that the file resides somewhere else and in it the location of
the data directory is specified. It does not mandate there will only
be one cluster and it does not mean that each cluster cannot have
completely different configuration file.

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