Re: Why is lc_messages superuser only? - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

From Tom Lane
Subject Re: Why is lc_messages superuser only?
Date
Msg-id 25667.1185204015@sss.pgh.pa.us
Whole thread Raw
In response to Why is lc_messages superuser only?  (Magnus Hagander <magnus@hagander.net>)
Responses Re: Why is lc_messages superuser only?  (Magnus Hagander <magnus@hagander.net>)
List pgsql-hackers
Magnus Hagander <magnus@hagander.net> writes:
> Is there a reason for this?

Two arguments I can recall:

(1) Having log messages emitted in a language that the DBA can't read
would be a useful tactic for a Bad Guy trying to cover his tracks.

(2) Setting lc_messages to a value incompatible with the database
encoding would be likely to result in PANIC or worse.

If we had more-robust locale support, I could see separating lc_messages
into one setting for messages bound to the client and one for messages
bound to the log, and making the latter superuser only (or, more likely,
PGC_SIGHUP, because surely you'd want DB-wide consistency).  But we
are nowhere near being able to do that.
        regards, tom lane


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