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From: Ron Johnson <ronljohnsonjr@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Feb 2026 10:55:31 -0500
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 <CANzqJaAiTvMbuTUX86vZVCUY62KyHPffd_Dt1Po6Jmqv_9A_Bg@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Does pg_dump custom format only compress the table data?
To: Pgsql-admin <pgsql-admin@lists.postgresql.org>
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PG 17.7

Zlvl="--compress=zstd:long"
db=mumble
pg_dump -Fc $Zlvl -v -d${db} -f ${db}.dump  2> ${db}.log

Out of curiosity, I opened that dump file in vim, and saw not only DDL
strings but cleartext table data.

Why isn't it compressed?

-- 
Death to <Redacted>, and butter sauce.
Don't boil me, I'm still alive.
<Redacted> lobster!

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div>PG 17.7</div><div><br></div><div><font face=3D"monosp=
ace">Zlvl=3D&quot;--compress=3Dzstd:long&quot;</font></div><div><font face=
=3D"monospace">db=3Dmumble</font></div><div><font face=3D"monospace">pg_dum=
p -Fc $Zlvl -v -d${db} -f ${db}.dump =C2=A02&gt; ${db}.log</font></div><div=
><br></div><div>Out of curiosity, I opened that dump file in vim, and saw n=
ot only DDL strings but cleartext table data.</div><div><br></div><div>Why =
isn&#39;t it compressed?</div><div><br></div><span class=3D"gmail_signature=
_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_signature" data-smar=
tmail=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr">Death to &lt;Redacted&gt;, and b=
utter sauce.<div>Don&#39;t boil me, I&#39;m still alive.<br><div><div>&lt;R=
edacted&gt; lobster!</div></div></div></div></div></div>

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