Re: Converting postgresql.conf parameters to kilobytes

> Hi,
>
> I was toying around with idea of converting all the memory related
> parameters
> in postgresql.conf to kilobytes for simplicity and uniformity.
>
> Attached is a proof of concept patch that converts shared_buffers to
> kilobytes
> using assign_hook.
>
> It compiled all-right but I experienced a strange behavior. At the time of
> initdb, it demanded 69MB of shared memory. I had to bump up SHMMAX from
> 32MB
> to 128MB to get initdb through. Certainly I did something wrong somewhere
> but
> I don't know what and where. This is linux 2.6.4.
>
> The postgresql.conf is properly altered and shows 8000(Though the
> description
> around is no longer in sync.)
>
> I also don't know where to put the assign_hook. I have put in guc.c for
> the
> time being. Only other int hook I found was assign_max_stack_depth which
> is
> in postgres.c
>
> Any comments/pointers?
>
> Regards,
> Shridhar

Changing the format of numbers is tricky. I wouldn't change it, I'd allow
for a suffix, i.e. 1024K or 1M

Additionally, the configuration patch I submited and I think Bruce has
already or will merge, allows for a configuration function. A specific
keyword can be handled by a handler function. This is how I got "include"
to work, but I would modify *all* the number handlers in GUC to accept the
suffix rather than explicitly change anything that currently works. It is
more consistent, more readble i.e. 128 vs 128M.