Postgres 8.3 archive_command

Hi,

I just installed v8.3beta3 and discovered that the way WAL archiving
is handled has changed.

From postgresql.conf:
#archive_mode = off # allows archiving to be done
(change requires restart)
#archive_command = '' # command to use to archive a logfile
segment

In v8.2.4 we are currently switching archiving on/off on the fly by
just inserting an archiving command.
Now we have got a separate option for handling the on/off state.
That's ok.
But the note "change requires restart" is a serious change over v8.2.

Background:
We are using the archive_command for PITR backup every night. This
can easily be done while the server is running.
After the migration to v8.3 we'd have to
(1) stop the server, switch on archiving, start the server,
(2) run PITR backup, and
(3) stop the server, switch off archiving, start the server.

Questions:
- Is the requirement "change of archive_mode requires restart"
just temporary or is it going to stay in the final release?
If the server restart is planned for final release (for whatever
reason) then my next question is:

- The workaround is a script that simply does a NOOP if archiving
is effectively disabled while archive_mode=on all the time.
How can one switch off the archiving log messages?

Thanks and best regards,
Rudolf VanderLeeden
IT Consultant
Logicunited GmbH
Germany
vanderleeden(at)logicunited(dot)com