Re: Overhauling GUCS

On Thu, 5 Jun 2008, Heikki Linnakangas wrote:

> A configuration wizard would be nice, but it would be a good start to add a
> section to the manual on how to do the basic tuning. AFAICS we don't have
> one. Clear instructions on how to set the few most important settings like
> shared_buffers and checkpoint_timeout/segments would probably be enough, with
> a link to the main configuration section that explains the rest of the
> settings.

It hasn't gelled yet but I'm working on that. Most of the text needed is
now linked to at http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Performance_Optimization

I already talked with Chris Browne about merging his document I put first
in that list with useful pieces from some of mine into one more
comprehensive document on the Wiki, covering everything you mention here.
If we took a snapshot of that when it's done and dumped that into the
manual, I don't think that would be a problem to wrap up before 8.4 is
done. I'd like to include a link to the above performance page in that
section of the manual as well, both so that people are more likely to find
fresh content as well as to give them pointers toward more resources than
the manual can possibly cover.

> If people don't read the manual, we can add a link to it from
> postgresql.conf.sample, add a screen to the Windows installer suggesting
> to read it, or even open postgresql.conf in Notepad.

They don't. Putting pointers toward a relatively simple performance
tuning document a bit more in people's faces might help lower some of the
criticism the project takes over providing low defaults for so many
things.

--
* Greg Smith gsmith(at)gregsmith(dot)com http://www.gregsmith.com Baltimore, MD