Robert Haas <robertmhaas(at)gmail(dot)com> writes:
> If we change this, is it going to be a compatibility break for the
> contents of postgresql.conf files?
I think not, at least not for the sorts of values you'd ordinarily
find in that variable, say '/tmp, /var/run/postgresql'. Possibly
the behavior would change for pathnames containing spaces or the
like, but it is probably kinda broken for such cases today anyway.
In any case, Michael had promised to test this aspect before committing.
regards, tom lane