pgsql: Add allow_alter_system GUC.

Started by Robert Haasover 2 years ago6 messagescomitters
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#1Robert Haas
robertmhaas@gmail.com

Add allow_alter_system GUC.

This is marked PGC_SIGHUP, so it can only be set in a configuration
file, not anywhere else; and it is also marked GUC_DISALLOW_IN_AUTO_FILE,
so it can't be set using ALTER SYSTEM. When set to false, the
ALTER SYSTEM command is disallowed.

There was considerable concern that this would be misinterpreted as
a security feature, which it is not, because a determined superuser
has various ways of bypassing it. Hence, a lot of work has gone into
wordsmithing the documentation, in the hopes of avoiding any such
confusion.

Jelte Fennemia-Nio and Gabriele Bartolini, with wording suggestions
for the documentation from many others.

Discussion: /messages/by-id/CA+VUV5rEKt2+CdC_KUaPoihMu+i5ChT4WVNTr4CD5-xXZUfuQw@mail.gmail.com

Branch
------
master

Details
-------
https://git.postgresql.org/pg/commitdiff/d3ae2a24f265a028f4b9e8df79ea7b075c6cf016

Modified Files
--------------
doc/src/sgml/config.sgml | 51 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
doc/src/sgml/ref/alter_system.sgml | 8 +++++
src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c | 5 +++
src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c | 17 +++++++++
src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample | 1 +
src/include/utils/guc.h | 1 +
6 files changed, 82 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

#2Robert Haas
robertmhaas@gmail.com
In reply to: Robert Haas (#1)
Re: pgsql: Add allow_alter_system GUC.

Oh no! Jelte, I'm so sorry ... I spelled your name wrong in this
commit message. :-(

Please accept my apologies.

...Robert

On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 8:45 AM Robert Haas <rhaas@postgresql.org> wrote:

Add allow_alter_system GUC.

This is marked PGC_SIGHUP, so it can only be set in a configuration
file, not anywhere else; and it is also marked GUC_DISALLOW_IN_AUTO_FILE,
so it can't be set using ALTER SYSTEM. When set to false, the
ALTER SYSTEM command is disallowed.

There was considerable concern that this would be misinterpreted as
a security feature, which it is not, because a determined superuser
has various ways of bypassing it. Hence, a lot of work has gone into
wordsmithing the documentation, in the hopes of avoiding any such
confusion.

Jelte Fennemia-Nio and Gabriele Bartolini, with wording suggestions
for the documentation from many others.

Discussion: /messages/by-id/CA+VUV5rEKt2+CdC_KUaPoihMu+i5ChT4WVNTr4CD5-xXZUfuQw@mail.gmail.com

Branch
------
master

Details
-------
https://git.postgresql.org/pg/commitdiff/d3ae2a24f265a028f4b9e8df79ea7b075c6cf016

Modified Files
--------------
doc/src/sgml/config.sgml | 51 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
doc/src/sgml/ref/alter_system.sgml | 8 +++++
src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c | 5 +++
src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c | 17 +++++++++
src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample | 1 +
src/include/utils/guc.h | 1 +
6 files changed, 82 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

--
Robert Haas
EDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com

#3Jelte Fennema-Nio
postgres@jeltef.nl
In reply to: Robert Haas (#2)
Re: pgsql: Add allow_alter_system GUC.

no worries, these things happen. I'm just glad it's committed and I
can now focus on different things than back and forth discussion over
documentation that all looks pretty much identical to me.

Show quoted text

On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 at 13:47, Robert Haas <robertmhaas@gmail.com> wrote:

Oh no! Jelte, I'm so sorry ... I spelled your name wrong in this
commit message. :-(

Please accept my apologies.

...Robert

On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 8:45 AM Robert Haas <rhaas@postgresql.org> wrote:

Add allow_alter_system GUC.

This is marked PGC_SIGHUP, so it can only be set in a configuration
file, not anywhere else; and it is also marked GUC_DISALLOW_IN_AUTO_FILE,
so it can't be set using ALTER SYSTEM. When set to false, the
ALTER SYSTEM command is disallowed.

There was considerable concern that this would be misinterpreted as
a security feature, which it is not, because a determined superuser
has various ways of bypassing it. Hence, a lot of work has gone into
wordsmithing the documentation, in the hopes of avoiding any such
confusion.

Jelte Fennemia-Nio and Gabriele Bartolini, with wording suggestions
for the documentation from many others.

Discussion: /messages/by-id/CA+VUV5rEKt2+CdC_KUaPoihMu+i5ChT4WVNTr4CD5-xXZUfuQw@mail.gmail.com

Branch
------
master

Details
-------
https://git.postgresql.org/pg/commitdiff/d3ae2a24f265a028f4b9e8df79ea7b075c6cf016

Modified Files
--------------
doc/src/sgml/config.sgml | 51 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
doc/src/sgml/ref/alter_system.sgml | 8 +++++
src/backend/utils/misc/guc.c | 5 +++
src/backend/utils/misc/guc_tables.c | 17 +++++++++
src/backend/utils/misc/postgresql.conf.sample | 1 +
src/include/utils/guc.h | 1 +
6 files changed, 82 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

--
Robert Haas
EDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com

#4Robert Haas
robertmhaas@gmail.com
In reply to: Jelte Fennema-Nio (#3)
Re: pgsql: Add allow_alter_system GUC.

On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 9:03 AM Jelte Fennema-Nio <postgres@jeltef.nl> wrote:

no worries, these things happen. I'm just glad it's committed and I
can now focus on different things than back and forth discussion over
documentation that all looks pretty much identical to me.

Yeah, imagine that!

--
Robert Haas
EDB: http://www.enterprisedb.com

#5Bruce Momjian
bruce@momjian.us
In reply to: Robert Haas (#2)
Re: pgsql: Add allow_alter_system GUC.

On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 08:47:18AM -0400, Robert Haas wrote:

Oh no! Jelte, I'm so sorry ... I spelled your name wrong in this
commit message. :-(

Please accept my apologies.

I have made a record of this so I will make sure it is accurate in the
release notes.

--
Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us> https://momjian.us
EDB https://enterprisedb.com

Only you can decide what is important to you.

#6Bruce Momjian
bruce@momjian.us
In reply to: Robert Haas (#2)
Re: pgsql: Add allow_alter_system GUC.

On Fri, Mar 29, 2024 at 08:47:18AM -0400, Robert Haas wrote:

Oh no! Jelte, I'm so sorry ... I spelled your name wrong in this
commit message. :-(

Please accept my apologies.

I have corrected his name in the release notes for this item.

--
Bruce Momjian <bruce@momjian.us> https://momjian.us
EDB https://enterprisedb.com

Only you can decide what is important to you.