a small proposal for avoiding foot-shooting

From: Andrew Gierth <andrew(at)tao11(dot)riddles(dot)org(dot)uk>
To: pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: a small proposal for avoiding foot-shooting
Date: 2008-12-20 21:43:25
Message-ID: 87hc4yzfnm.fsf@news-spur.riddles.org.uk
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Currently setting "log_error_verbosity = terse" causes all HINT output
to the log file to be suppressed (along with some other stuff).

I propose that this behaviour be changed such that 'terse' is ignored
for all log messages of FATAL or PANIC severity.

The main reason for this is messages like (from xlog.c):

ereport(PANIC,
(errmsg("could not locate required checkpoint record"),
errhint("If you are not restoring from a backup, try removing the file \"%s/backup_label\".", DataDir)));

The HINT: there is at least as important as the error message, and the
lack of a clear direction to the admin in this case is a gold-plated
invitation to do something stupid that will seriously mess up the data,
such as manually copying back the xlog file that recovery seems to be
asking for at that point.

[This is all based on today's lesson in disaster recovery from the IRC
chan, so it's not theoretical.]

--
Andrew (irc:RhodiumToad)

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