Re: pg_stop_backup does not complete

Tom, Simon,

> * emit a NOTICE as soon as pg_stop_backup's actual work is done and
> it's starting to wait for the archiver (or maybe after it's waited
> for a few seconds, but much less than the present 60).
> 
> * extend the existing WARNING (and the NOTICE too if we elect to have
> one) with a HINT message explicitly saying that you can cancel the
> wait but thus-and-such consequences might ensue.
> 
> Both of these things would only be helpful when using client software
> that shows you received notices promptly.  psql is okay, but maybe
> pgAdmin and other tools would need some further work.  There is not
> much we can do about that in the core project though.

Well, the client software could be fixed in time for 9.0, I'd think.  I
think that implementing both of the above would probably do the trick
for user-friendliness, enough for 9.0.  If it's obvious to the user on
the console what to do, then they won't panic.

> Since Kevin suggested this in his first post and I agreed with that in
> the first paragraph of my first post, I think you've wasted a lot of
> time here going in circles. 42 posts, more than a dozen people. I think

Please tone down the hostility, Simon.  I don't think talking about an
issue I encountered while testing is a waste of anyone's time, it's how
we improve the software.  In fact, I'm hoping that potential testers are
noticing the drubbing you're getting over this, because belittling
anyone's bug reports is not exactly a good way to attract new testers to
the project.

Further, the multiple posts seem to have arrived at a minimally
intrusive solution, so it seems like time well spent.

> we have better things to do than this small issue, which has nothing at
> all to do with a 9.0 feature. I think you should look at prioritisation.
> There are many things seriously in need of fixing and this wasn't one of
> them.

You've made it clear, repeatedly, that you don't happen to think that
new user experience is a priority for 9.0.  However, a lot of us on this
list disagree with you, and will continue to do so.  Priorities are a
community decision, not an individual developer one.

--Josh Berkus