Re: log_filename_prefix --> log_filename + strftime()

On Friday August 27 2004 12:08, Tom Lane wrote:
> "Ed L." <pgsql@bluepolka.net> writes:
> > Attached is a patch which replaces the 'log_filename_prefix'
> > configuration directive with a similar 'log_filename' directive.
> >    + changes the default log filename to exclude the PID;
>
> This would be better stated as "makes it impossible to use the PID
> in the file name".  While I'm prepared to grant that it may not be
> necessary to do so in many scenarios, I'm not very happy with
> arbitrarily removing the ability ... especially without giving any
> justification.

Yes, should have said more on that item.  First, I didn't see how to easily
make it configurable in combination with strftime() without doing more
work, and it didn't appear to be worth the effort.  By its addition,
hard-coding the PID into the filename deviates from what I would argue is
the de facto standard of Apache's rotatelogs and forces a naming convention
where none existed before.  That creates work for us as we have a
considerable infrastructure setup to deal with logs; I suspect that may be
the case with others.  I looked, but did not find, justification for why it
was introduced; I would assume it was added to allow for multiple
postmasters sharing the same log directory.  I had difficulty fathoming the
usefulness of this being hard-coded, as it seems one could compensate
easily through the configurable 'log_filename' if one chose to share a log
directory among postmasters.  Not by including the PID, but by some other
postmaster-unique naming approach.  Given its a new 'feature', I'm hoping
it can be altered to return the freedom of filenaming to the administrator.