Thread: Re: pgsql: Improve wording.

Re: pgsql: Improve wording.

From
Alvaro Herrera
Date:
Martijn van Oosterhout wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 01:48:31PM +0000, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> > Log Message:
> > -----------
> > Improve wording.

> 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.

I agree that the parenthised phrase should be removed.

http://developer.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml?r1=1.387&r2=1.391

I think your proposed wording is removed enough from what the
complainant was saying that it is not worth to stick it in.  The point
here is, to what extent do we want to spoon-feed careless sysadmins?

-- 
Alvaro Herrera                                http://www.CommandPrompt.com/
The PostgreSQL Company - Command Prompt, Inc.


Re: pgsql: Improve wording.

From
Martijn van Oosterhout
Date:
On Tue, Dec 18, 2007 at 09:32:51AM -0300, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> Martijn van Oosterhout wrote:
> > On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 01:48:31PM +0000, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> > > Log Message:
> > > -----------
> > > Improve wording.
>
> I agree that the parenthised phrase should be removed.
>
> http://developer.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml?r1=1.387&r2=1.391

That's fine with me. It's just that I figured that if we're going to
add something, we should at least add something factually accurate.

> I think your proposed wording is removed enough from what the
> complainant was saying that it is not worth to stick it in.  The point
> here is, to what extent do we want to spoon-feed careless sysadmins?

Not sure what the complaint was. The only useful advice I can think of
is that before turning it on you need to makes sure you have lots of
swap. For the rest, I think the wording was fine as it was.

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

Re: pgsql: Improve wording.

From
Bruce Momjian
Date:
Martijn van Oosterhout wrote:
-- Start of PGP signed section.
> On Tue, Dec 18, 2007 at 09:32:51AM -0300, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> > Martijn van Oosterhout wrote:
> > > On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 01:48:31PM +0000, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> > > > Log Message:
> > > > -----------
> > > > Improve wording.
> > 
> > I agree that the parenthised phrase should be removed.
> > 
> > http://developer.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml?r1=1.387&r2=1.391
> 
> That's fine with me. It's just that I figured that if we're going to
> add something, we should at least add something factually accurate.
> 
> > I think your proposed wording is removed enough from what the
> > complainant was saying that it is not worth to stick it in.  The point
> > here is, to what extent do we want to spoon-feed careless sysadmins?
> 
> Not sure what the complaint was. The only useful advice I can think of
> is that before turning it on you need to makes sure you have lots of
> swap. For the rest, I think the wording was fine as it was.

We are back to the old wording, but a link to an OOM article was added:
http://lwn.net/Articles/104179/

--  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us EnterpriseDB
http://postgres.enterprisedb.com
 + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +


Re: pgsql: Improve wording.

From
Bruce Momjian
Date:
Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> Martijn van Oosterhout wrote:
> > On Mon, Dec 17, 2007 at 01:48:31PM +0000, Alvaro Herrera wrote:
> > > Log Message:
> > > -----------
> > > Improve wording.
> 
> > 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.
> 
> I agree that the parenthised phrase should be removed.
> 
> http://developer.postgresql.org/cvsweb.cgi/pgsql/doc/src/sgml/runtime.sgml?r1=1.387&r2=1.391
> 
> I think your proposed wording is removed enough from what the
> complainant was saying that it is not worth to stick it in.  The point
> here is, to what extent do we want to spoon-feed careless sysadmins?

OK, I have removed the paratheses paragraph about fork() and added link
to an article about the OOM:
   http://lwn.net/Articles/104179/
   On Linux 2.6 and later, an additional measure is to modify the   kernel's behavior so that it will not
<quote>overcommit</>memory.   Although this setting will not prevent the <ulink
url="http://lwn.net/Articles/104179/">OOMkiller</> from being invoked   altogether, it will lower the chances
significantlyand will therefore   lead to more robust system behavior.  This is done by selecting strict   overcommit
modevia <command>sysctl</command>:
 

--  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us EnterpriseDB
http://postgres.enterprisedb.com
 + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +