Re: Rename backup_label to recovery_control - Mailing list pgsql-hackers

On 10/16/23 12:12, Robert Haas wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 16, 2023 at 12:06 PM Michael Banck <mbanck@gmx.net> wrote:
>> Not sure what to do about this, but as people/companies start moving to
>> 15, I am afraid we will get people complaining about this. I think
>> having exclusive mode still be the default for pg_start_backup() (albeit
>> deprecated) in one release and then dropping it in the next was too
>> fast.
> 
> I completely agree, and I said so at the time, but got shouted down. I
> think the argument that exclusive backups were breaking anything at
> all was very weak. Nobody was being forced to use them, and they broke
> nothing for people who didn't.

My argument then (and now) is that exclusive backup prevented us from 
making material improvements in backup and recovery. It was complicated, 
duplicative (in code and docs), and entirely untested.

So you are correct that it was only dangerous to the people who were 
using it (even if they did not know they were), but it was also a 
barrier to progress.

Regards,
-David