Re: ALTER SYSTEM SET command to change postgresql.conf parameters (RE: Proposal for Allow postgresql.conf values to be changed via SQL [review])

Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net>

From: Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net>
To: Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com>
Cc: Cédric Villemain <cedric@2ndquadrant.com>, "pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org" <pgsql-hackers@postgresql.org>, Andres Freund <andres@2ndquadrant.com>, Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>, Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us>, Amit Kapila <amit.kapila16@gmail.com>, Martijn van Oosterhout <kleptog@svana.org>, Alvaro Herrera <alvherre@2ndquadrant.com>, Dimitri Fontaine <dimitri@2ndquadrant.fr>, Josh Berkus <josh@agliodbs.com>, Fujii Masao <masao.fujii@gmail.com>
Date: 2013-08-30T13:55:43Z
Lists: pgsql-hackers
* Robert Haas (robertmhaas@gmail.com) wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 30, 2013 at 8:53 AM, Stephen Frost <sfrost@snowman.net> wrote:
> > Yes, one of the issues with the existing system is that you can't
> > specify a default to be applied to new roles.  Also, there are
> > parameters which are not per-role yet which it probably makes sense to
> > be in the database and we'd need a way to deal with that.  Although, at
> > the same time, considering it role based does make for a nice
> > distinction.  Unfortunately, those clammoring for this will argue that
> > it wouldn't replace adminpack and that they couldn't use it to modify
> > their /etc/network/interfaces file, which is the obvious next step to
> > all of this.
> 
> This is a straw-man.  

It was intended to be and I wasn't particularly expecting a response to
the sarcasm, at the same time..

> Likening this to the
> feature being proposed is silly.  What is being asked for here is the
> ability to easily modify system-wide settings from the SQL prompt,
> just as today you can modify settings per-user or per-database.

/etc/network/interfaces would be considered part of the "system" by
some.. :)  PG isn't an OS, yet..

> That's not the same thing as rewriting the entire system
> configuration.

And here you're using the *other* meaning of system, no?  Glad there
won't be any confusion here! ;)  (yes, I'm kidding..).

	Thanks,

		Stephen