Re: Optimization levels when compiling PostgreSQL... - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Bruce Momjian
Subject Re: Optimization levels when compiling PostgreSQL...
Date
Msg-id 200209100255.g8A2taP08523@candle.pha.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to Re: Optimization levels when compiling PostgreSQL...  (Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>)
Responses Re: Optimization levels when compiling PostgreSQL...  (Sean Chittenden <sean@chittenden.org>)
List pgsql-hackers
Tom Lane wrote:
> Sean Chittenden <sean@chittenden.org> writes:
> > The size difference between -O and -O3 is only 200K or so... does
> > anyone think that it'd be safe to head to -O6 on a wide scale?
> 
> Dunno.  I'm not aware of any bits of the code that are unportable enough
> to break with max optimization of any correct compiler.  But you might
> find such a bug.  Or a bug in your compiler.  Are you feeling lucky
> today?
> 
> My feeling is that gcc -O2 is quite well tested with the PG code.
> I don't have any equivalent confidence in -O6.  Give it a shot for
> beta-testing, for sure, but I'm iffy about calling that a
> production-grade database release...

And of course the big question is whether you will see any performance
improvement with -O6 vs. -O2.  My guess is no.

> 
> > I'm even thinking about going so far as to have flex required for the
> > build dependencies and setting -Cf or -CF for building the scanner
> > (need to check the archives for which turned out to be faster).
> 
> Um, didn't we do that stuff already in the standard build?  AFAIK
> you cannot build PG with any lexer except flex, and Peter already
> hacked the flags.

Yes, I thought that was a done deal too.

> > I'm also tinkering with the idea of automatically turn off fsync if
> > optimize is set.
> 
> No-bloody-way.  Trusting your compiler is an entirely separate issue
> from whether you trust your disk hardware, power source, etc.  Puh-leez
> do not muddy the waters by introducing a port-specific variation in
> choices that only the DBA of a particular installation should make.

Tom is right.  Hardware/power reliability is a different issue.

--  Bruce Momjian                        |  http://candle.pha.pa.us pgman@candle.pha.pa.us               |  (610)
359-1001+  If your life is a hard drive,     |  13 Roberts Road +  Christ can be your backup.        |  Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania19073
 


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