Re: SET FSYNC command?

Grant Finnemore <gaf@ucs.co.za> writes:
>> Add SET FSYNC and SHOW PG_OPTIONS commands(Massimo)
>> 
>> I'm confused by this since we don't seem to have SET FSYNC command.

> If SHOW PG_OPTIONS; is executed, one of the lines is
>  o NOTICE: nofsync=0
> now, SET PG_OPTIONS TO 'nofsync=1';
> SHOW PG_OPTIONS;
>  o NOTICE: nofsync=1

> Does this actually work?

It does.  The syntax is unnecessarily obscure and arse-backwards :-(.
The only defense I can offer is that we had every intention of ripping
the variable out completely, until a nearly-last-minute revision of the
buffer manager (to fix a different bug report) that had as a side-effect
making it safe and reasonable to run different backends with different
fsync settings.  So the variable got left in as it stood.

Once the WAL revisions are done the whole issue will go away anyway,
so it's probably not worth spending any time fixing the bizarre user
interface for this preference setting...
        regards, tom lane