To: Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>
cc: pgsql-docs@postgresql.org
Subject: Re: pg_dump docs should mention TMPDIR 
In-reply-to: <slrne5eona.aki.mark@simba.summersault.com> 
References: <slrne5eona.aki.mark@simba.summersault.com>
Comments: In-reply-to Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>
	message dated "Tue, 02 May 2006 12:47:36 -0000"
Date: Wed, 03 May 2006 13:49:10 -0400
Message-ID: <17708.1146678550@sss.pgh.pa.us>
From: Tom Lane <tgl@sss.pgh.pa.us>

Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com> writes:
> A suggested addition to the pg_dump docs:
> This would be an extension to the documentation for the "tar" format:

> The tar format needs some space to create temporary files. By default
> "/tmp" is used. On systems with small "/tmp" partitions, set the
> "TMPDIR" environment variable to a location with more space, such as
> "/usr/tmp".

There is no reference to TMPDIR in the pg_dump code.  It may be that
tmpfile() pays attention to such an environment variable on your
machine, but there's nothing about it in the Single Unix Spec.

> Also, I would like it if the pg_dump docs more assertively recommended
> one of the "tar" or "custom" formats. They seem very similiar.

Yeah.  I think it should specifically recommend custom format.  The only
reason for using tar format would be if you want to process the file
later with something other than pg_restore.

			regards, tom lane