Re: How to shoot yourself in the foot: kill -9 postmaster

Lamar Owen <lamar(dot)owen(at)wgcr(dot)org> writes:
> Tom Lane wrote:
>> Please note that the reason we're having this discussion at
>> all is that the init script may be used for purposes other than system
>> shutdown. So the argument that "it's going to happen anyway" is wrong.

> Believe it or not, you just disproved your own statement that the
> initscript should not take it upon itself to issue the kill -9.

How?

> So, what if I issue '/etc/rc.d/init.d/postgresql restart' -- and
> backends don't go away during the 'stop' phase, while postmaster may
> actually have died? Or is it even possible for postmaster to drop out
> with a running backend out there?

The postmaster will certainly not do so voluntarily. If you kill -9 it,
of course, that's the situation you're left with ... but your reasoning
seems circular to me. "I should kill -9 the postmaster to prevent the
situation where I've kill -9'd the postmaster."

regards, tom lane