Re: /proc/self/oom_adj is deprecated in newer Linux kernels

Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> writes:
> Well, clearly, somebody hasn't got it right, or there wouldn't be this
> complaint.  I'll grant you that "somebody" may be EnterpriseDB's own
> packaging in this instance, but I wouldn't like to bet that no one
> else has ever got this wrong nor ever will.  Peter asked upthread why
> this wasn't a GUC with the comment that "Why is this feature not a
> run-time configuration variable or at least a configure option?  It's
> awfully well hidden now.  I doubt a lot of people are using this even
> though they might wish to."  I think that's quite right, and note that
> Peter is in no way affiliated with EnterpriseDB and made that comment
> (rather presciently) long before Gurjeet's recent report.

I'd be okay with a configure option, if you think that would make this
issue more visible to packagers.  It's delegating the responsibility to
the DBA level that I'm unhappy about.

>> Because it would convert the intended behavior (postmaster and only
>> postmaster is exempt from OOM kill) into a situation where possibly
>> all of the database processes are exempt from OOM kill, at the whim
>> of somebody who should not have the privilege to decide that.

> Gurjeet already refused that argument.

He can refuse it all he likes, but that doesn't make his opinion correct.

> How about using an environment variable?  It seems to me that would
> address the concern about DBAs without shell access.  They might be
> able to frob GUCs, but presumably not the postmaster's starting
> environment.

Hmmm ... yeah, that might work.  It would solve the problem I'm worried
about, which is making sure that the startup script has control of what
happens.
        regards, tom lane