Re: pg_ctl only allows 12 parameters?

On Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 8:31 AM Ron Johnson <ronljohnsonjr(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

> On Mon, Dec 18, 2023 at 10:11 AM David G. Johnston <
> david(dot)g(dot)johnston(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:
>
>> On Monday, December 18, 2023, Ron Johnson <ronljohnsonjr(at)gmail(dot)com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> PG 14.10
>>>
>>> pg_ctl failed when I added a thirteenth parameter (log_temp_files). Is
>>> this documented, and I missed it?
>>>
>>> (The purpose is to optimize for a 30-thread pg_restore of a multi-TB 9.6
>>> database. Once it's finished, I stop/start, to enable "production" values
>>> like fsync=on.)
>>>
>>> pg_ctl restart -wt999 -mfast
>>> -o '-c fsync=off' \
>>> -o '-c full_page_writes=off' \
>>> -o '-c log_statement=none' \
>>> -o '-c log_temp_files=100kB' \
>>> -o '-c max_wal_size=36GB' \
>>> -o '-c wal_level=minimal' \
>>> -o '-c max_wal_senders=0' \
>>> -o '-c wal_buffers=64MB' \
>>> -o '-c log_checkpoints=off' \
>>> -o '-c autovacuum=off'
>>> pg_ctl: too many command-line arguments (first is "restart")
>>>
>>
>> Arguments are not parameters. Try putting the restart argument after all
>> parameters.
>>
>
> Quite irritating. "pg_ctl restart" instantly tells you what it's doing.
>
> And still, why the limitation?
>

I'm thinking that the forced ordering being different than what is
documented is a shell-specific issue. As for why only one of restart,
stop, start, etc... can be specified for any given invocation of pg_ctl,
that seems like an entirely realistic limitation and typo-preventing
feature.

David J.