Re: pgsql: Improve wording. - Mailing list pgsql-committers

From Martijn van Oosterhout
Subject Re: pgsql: Improve wording.
Date
Msg-id 20071218113008.GC13268@svana.org
Whole thread Raw
In response to pgsql: Improve wording.  (alvherre@postgresql.org (Alvaro Herrera))
List pgsql-committers
On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 01:48:31PM +0000, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> Log Message:
> -----------
> Improve wording.
>
> Modified Files:
> --------------
>     pgsql/doc/src/sgml:
>         runtime.sgml (r1.389 -> r1.390)
>         (http://developer.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml?r1=1.389&r2=1.390)

I'm not sure what the leadup was to these wording changes in this
paragraph but it seems worse now. I object to the phrase: "to other
applications with careless memory allocation." This feature has
*nothing* to do with whether another application allocates memory
"carelessly" or not. If you meant "careless' as the oppisite to
"strict" then it needs to be reworded to say that.

It's also factually wrong, not just fork() can fail but any memory
allocation: sbrk(), mmap(), malloc(). The only case that is removed is
running out of memory on a page fault.

I'd suggest removing everything between the parentheses, or perhaps
something like: By tracking allocated memory  rather than used memory
it removes the possibilty of failing in a page fault. This option also
require you allocate enoghh swap to cover all possible eventualities,
though in production it will not be used.

Have a nice day,
--
Martijn van Oosterhout   <kleptog@svana.org>   http://svana.org/kleptog/
> Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
>  -- John F Kennedy

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