Re: Postgresql.conf getting corrupted

From: Tom Lane <tgl(at)sss(dot)pgh(dot)pa(dot)us>
To: "Jason K(dot) Ergle" <jason(dot)ergle(at)camotion(dot)com>
Cc: pgsql-admin(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: Re: Postgresql.conf getting corrupted
Date: 2009-09-01 03:18:57
Message-ID: 15782.1251775137@sss.pgh.pa.us
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"Jason K. Ergle" <jason(dot)ergle(at)camotion(dot)com> writes:
> I am having a problem with postgreql.conf becoming corrupted. We are using
> version 8.2.9 in embedded systems running Fedora Core 7. Basically, the
> postgres server holds the data that our embedded systems need to run. They
> are all using industrial solid state disk drives on the ext3 file system.
> The systems are cold booted occasionally by the operators if something
> becomes unresponsive. I am not having a problem with the actual database,
> but it seems as though the postgresql.conf file becomes corrupted on
> occasion. What happens is a random character in the file, such as an =
> will be replaced with another character, such as a 5. Then the server
> refuses to start because of a syntax error in the file.

I'd bet lunch you have bad RAM that's dropping a bit every so often.
It's worthy of note that ASCII '=' is 0x3D while '5' is 0x35, just
one bit different.

regards, tom lane

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