Re: Disabling ALTER SYSTEM SET WAS: Re: ALTER SYSTEM SET command to change postgresql.conf parameters

* Bruce Momjian (bruce@momjian.us) wrote:
> On Mon, Aug  5, 2013 at 11:16:24AM -0700, Josh Berkus wrote:
> > I don't think this is a small thing.  I really think we'll get a LOT of
> > blowback from sysadmins -- and maybe even refusals to upgrade -- if we
>                              ----------------------------------
>
> Really?  Is that a reasonable statement?

I don't believe Josh was saying that in jest..  I certainly believe that
it could happen.

> > As I've said before, I think the disable switch can be a follow-up patch
> > to the main ALTER SYSTEM SET patch.

Even if it's a different patch, it should go in at the same time, imv..

> You are mixing the behaviors of disabling the ALTER SYSTEM SET command
> with recognizing ALTER SYSTEM SET settings already made --- the later
> would be to fix a problem with the server not starting.

That's a good point.

> However,
> frankly, these are flat files, so I don't see a problem with having the
> administrator modify the flat file.

Admins on Ubuntu or Debian or a host of their derivatives aren't going
to be looking in $PGDATA for config files that they have to hand-modify
to fix something the DBA did.  When they eventually figure it out,
they're going to be *very* unhappy.

> Would disabling the ALTER SYSTEM SET command also disable recognizing
> any ALTER SYSTEM SET commands already performed?  Maybe that was already
> understood, but I missed that point.

I don't have an answer to that one, though I do like the idea of a
switch that says "only read the settings from my postgresql.conf file".
    Thanks,                Stephen