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Thread: Confusing message in log file

Confusing message in log file

From
"Gurjeet Singh"
Date:
Hi All,<br /><br />    I changed the postgresql.conf file (of an 8.2.4 server), and issued relaod using
pg_reload_config().Following are the messages I see in the log files:<br /><br />May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001
postgres[29658]:[19-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40 PDTLOG:  received SIGHUP, reloading configuration files<br /> May 14
21:38:40sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [20-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40 PDTLOG:  parameter "shared_buffers" cannot be changed
afterserver start; configuration file change ignored<br />May 14 21:39:03 sfphotodb001 postgres[22928]: [21-1]
2008-05-1421:39:03 PDTLOG:  archived transaction log file "0000000100000E23000000C8"<br /><br /><br />    What's
confusingabout this is that the second message says 'configuration file change ignored', so I expect the changed (newly
enabled)archive_command to not take effect. But in fact, it does take effect.<br /><br />    The message probably
shouldbe rephrased to say that this setting (shared_buffers) will not be changed.<br /><br />Best regards,<br
clear="all"/><br />-- <br />gurjeet[.singh]@EnterpriseDB.com<br />singh.gurjeet@{ gmail | hotmail | indiatimes | yahoo
}.com<br/><br />EnterpriseDB <a href="http://www.enterprisedb.com">http://www.enterprisedb.com</a><br /><br />Mail sent
frommy BlackLaptop device

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
Bruce Momjian
Date:
Gurjeet Singh wrote:
> Hi All,
> 
>     I changed the postgresql.conf file (of an 8.2.4 server), and issued
> relaod using pg_reload_config(). Following are the messages I see in the log
> files:
> 
> May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [19-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40
> PDTLOG:  received SIGHUP, reloading configuration files
> May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [20-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40
> PDTLOG:  parameter "shared_buffers" cannot be changed after server start;
> configuration file change ignored
> May 14 21:39:03 sfphotodb001 postgres[22928]: [21-1] 2008-05-14 21:39:03
> PDTLOG:  archived transaction log file "0000000100000E23000000C8"
> 
> 
>     What's confusing about this is that the second message says
> 'configuration file change ignored', so I expect the changed (newly enabled)
> archive_command to not take effect. But in fact, it does take effect.
> 
>     The message probably should be rephrased to say that this setting
> (shared_buffers) will not be changed.

Actually, no one else has been confused by this wording before, and I
can't think of better wording that doesn't sound redundant.

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

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
Tom Lane
Date:
Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us> writes:
> Gurjeet Singh wrote:
>> May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [20-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40
>> PDTLOG:  parameter "shared_buffers" cannot be changed after server start;
>> configuration file change ignored
>> 
>> The message probably should be rephrased to say that this setting
>> (shared_buffers) will not be changed.

> Actually, no one else has been confused by this wording before, and I
> can't think of better wording that doesn't sound redundant.

How about "... after server start; change ignored" ?
Or "attempted change ignored" ?
        regards, tom lane

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
Bruce Momjian
Date:
Tom Lane wrote:
> Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us> writes:
> > Gurjeet Singh wrote:
> >> May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [20-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40
> >> PDTLOG:  parameter "shared_buffers" cannot be changed after server start;
> >> configuration file change ignored
> >> 
> >> The message probably should be rephrased to say that this setting
> >> (shared_buffers) will not be changed.
> 
> > Actually, no one else has been confused by this wording before, and I
> > can't think of better wording that doesn't sound redundant.
> 
> How about "... after server start; change ignored" ?
> Or "attempted change ignored" ?

Yea, I like "change ignored" rather than mentioning the configuration
file.

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

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
Alvaro Herrera
Date:
Bruce Momjian escribió:
> Gurjeet Singh wrote:

> > May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [19-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40
> > PDTLOG:  received SIGHUP, reloading configuration files
> > May 14 21:38:40 sfphotodb001 postgres[29658]: [20-1] 2008-05-14 21:38:40
> > PDTLOG:  parameter "shared_buffers" cannot be changed after server start;
> > configuration file change ignored

> >     What's confusing about this is that the second message says
> > 'configuration file change ignored', so I expect the changed (newly enabled)
> > archive_command to not take effect. But in fact, it does take effect.
> > 
> >     The message probably should be rephrased to say that this setting
> > (shared_buffers) will not be changed.
> 
> Actually, no one else has been confused by this wording before, and I
> can't think of better wording that doesn't sound redundant.

Perhaps this is because not enough people have seen it.  I agree that
the message should specify that only this setting has been ignored.

In any case, this seems a case of stuffing too much in the primary
message.  I think it should be something like

errmsg("parameter \"shared_buffer\" change in configuration file ignored"),
errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")

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

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
Tom Lane
Date:
Alvaro Herrera <alvherre@commandprompt.com> writes:
> In any case, this seems a case of stuffing too much in the primary
> message.

Yeah, good point.

> I think it should be something like
> errmsg("parameter \"shared_buffer\" change in configuration file ignored"),
> errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")

Seems a bit awkwardly phrased.  I propose

errmsg("attempted change to parameter \"shared_buffer\" ignored"),
errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")

(or possibly "of" would read better than "to")
        regards, tom lane

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
"Gurjeet Singh"
Date:
On Mon, Jun 30, 2008 at 7:33 PM, Tom Lane <<a href="mailto:tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us">tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us</a>> wrote:<br
/><divclass="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt
0pt0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="Ih2E3d">Alvaro Herrera <<a
href="mailto:alvherre@commandprompt.com">alvherre@commandprompt.com</a>>writes:<br /> > In any case, this seems a
caseof stuffing too much in the primary<br /> > message.<br /><br /></div>Yeah, good point.<br /><div
class="Ih2E3d"><br/> > I think it should be something like<br /> > errmsg("parameter \"shared_buffer\" change in
configurationfile ignored"),<br /> > errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")<br /><br
/></div>Seemsa bit awkwardly phrased.  I propose<br /><br /> errmsg("attempted change to parameter \"shared_buffer\"
ignored"),<br/><div class="Ih2E3d">errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")<br /><br
/></div>(orpossibly "of" would read better than "to")<br /><br /></blockquote></div><br />'of' sounds better than
'to'.<br/><br />Best regards,<br />-- <br />gurjeet[.singh]@EnterpriseDB.com<br />singh.gurjeet@{ gmail | hotmail |
indiatimes| yahoo }.com<br /><br />EnterpriseDB <a
href="http://www.enterprisedb.com">http://www.enterprisedb.com</a><br/><br />Mail sent from my BlackLaptop device

Re: Confusing message in log file

From
Bruce Momjian
Date:
Wording adjusted and applied with attached patch.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gurjeet Singh wrote:
> On Mon, Jun 30, 2008 at 7:33 PM, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us> wrote:
>
> > Alvaro Herrera <alvherre@commandprompt.com> writes:
> > > In any case, this seems a case of stuffing too much in the primary
> > > message.
> >
> > Yeah, good point.
> >
> > > I think it should be something like
> > > errmsg("parameter \"shared_buffer\" change in configuration file
> > ignored"),
> > > errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")
> >
> > Seems a bit awkwardly phrased.  I propose
> >
> > errmsg("attempted change to parameter \"shared_buffer\" ignored"),
> > errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")
> >
> > (or possibly "of" would read better than "to")
> >
> >
> 'of' sounds better than 'to'.
>
> Best regards,
> --
> gurjeet[.singh]@EnterpriseDB.com
> singh.gurjeet@{ gmail | hotmail | indiatimes | yahoo }.com
>
> EnterpriseDB http://www.enterprisedb.com
>
> Mail sent from my BlackLaptop device

--
  Bruce Momjian  <bruce@momjian.us>        http://momjian.us
  EnterpriseDB                             http://enterprisedb.com

  + If your life is a hard drive, Christ can be your backup. +
Index: src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l,v
retrieving revision 1.55
diff -c -c -r1.55 guc-file.l
*** src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l    9 May 2008 15:36:31 -0000    1.55
--- src/backend/utils/misc/guc-file.l    22 Aug 2008 00:01:00 -0000
***************
*** 258,265 ****
          {
              ereport(elevel,
                      (errcode(ERRCODE_CANT_CHANGE_RUNTIME_PARAM),
!                      errmsg("parameter \"%s\" cannot be changed after server start; configuration file change
ignored",
!                             gconf->name)));
              continue;
          }

--- 258,266 ----
          {
              ereport(elevel,
                      (errcode(ERRCODE_CANT_CHANGE_RUNTIME_PARAM),
!                      errmsg("attempted change of parameter \"%s\" ignored",
!                             gconf->name),
!                      errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")));
              continue;
          }

Index: src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/pgsql/src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c,v
retrieving revision 1.466
diff -c -c -r1.466 guc.c
*** src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c    15 Aug 2008 08:37:40 -0000    1.466
--- src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c    22 Aug 2008 00:01:06 -0000
***************
*** 4598,4613 ****
                  if (changeVal && !is_newvalue_equal(record, value))
                      ereport(elevel,
                              (errcode(ERRCODE_CANT_CHANGE_RUNTIME_PARAM),
!                              errmsg("parameter \"%s\" cannot be changed after server start; configuration file change
ignored",
!                                     name)));
                  return true;
              }
              if (context != PGC_POSTMASTER)
              {
                  ereport(elevel,
                          (errcode(ERRCODE_CANT_CHANGE_RUNTIME_PARAM),
!                          errmsg("parameter \"%s\" cannot be changed after server start",
!                                 name)));
                  return false;
              }
              break;
--- 4598,4615 ----
                  if (changeVal && !is_newvalue_equal(record, value))
                      ereport(elevel,
                              (errcode(ERRCODE_CANT_CHANGE_RUNTIME_PARAM),
!                              errmsg("attempted change of parameter \"%s\" ignored",
!                                     name),
!                              errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")));
                  return true;
              }
              if (context != PGC_POSTMASTER)
              {
                  ereport(elevel,
                          (errcode(ERRCODE_CANT_CHANGE_RUNTIME_PARAM),
!                          errmsg("attempted change of parameter \"%s\" ignored",
!                                 name),
!                          errdetail("This parameter cannot be changed after server start.")));
                  return false;
              }
              break;