Message-ID: <4e68824dfa5242fd0db8a856d47b2411046f6df2.camel@cybertec.at>
Subject: Re: could not stat file "pg_wal/RECOVERYHISTORY": No such file or
 director
From: Laurenz Albe <laurenz.albe@cybertec.at>
To: Dmitry Litvintsev <litvinse@fnal.gov>, 
 "pgsql-generallists.postgresql.org"
	 <pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org>
Date: Fri, 24 Oct 2025 07:59:43 +0300
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On Thu, 2025-10-23 at 21:54 +0000, Dmitry Litvintsev wrote:
> I have been setting PITR backup off of base backup. Wal files are shipped=
 to
> the host running pg_basebackup pulling backup from master host.=20
>=20
> Once base backup finished I wanted to try recovery.=20
>=20
> I added
>=20
> restore_command =3D 'gunzip /data/xlogs/%f.gz > %p'
>=20
> (that command is wrapped in a script that checks existence of input and e=
xits w/ 0 if it does not as per instructions)
>=20
> I see in the log:
>=20
>=20
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:30.750 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  database system was interr=
upted; last known up at 2025-10-23 02:00:41 CDT
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.582 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  could not stat file "pg_wa=
l/RECOVERYHISTORY": No such file or directory
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.582 CDT  2876871 > DETAIL:  restore_command returne=
d a zero exit status, but stat() failed.
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.582 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  starting archive recovery
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.583 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  starting backup recovery w=
ith redo LSN 20975/FE0AC690, checkpoint LSN 20975/FE21CA88, on timeline ID =
4
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.586 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  could not stat file "pg_wa=
l/RECOVERYHISTORY": No such file or directory
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.586 CDT  2876871 > DETAIL:  restore_command returne=
d a zero exit status, but stat() failed.
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.798 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  restored log file "0000000=
400020975000000FE" from archive
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:31.819 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  redo starts at 20975/FE0AC=
690
> < 2025-10-23 16:05:33.927 CDT  2876871 > LOG:  restored log file "0000000=
400020975000000FF" from archive
>=20
> it seems to be churning on, but I am a bit worried about :
>=20
> could not stat file "pg_wal/RECOVERYHISTORY": No such file or directory

I read the code, and that means the following:

- PostgreSQL tries to restore a *.history file to get the timeline history
- it calls "restore_command" to get the next history file and names it RECO=
VERYHISTORY locally
- "restore_command" exits with a return code 0, but the file is not in "pg_=
wal"

So it is a way for archive restore to fail, but an unusual way.
Normally, you would expect "restore_command" to have created the file if it=
 returns 0.
So you should improve your "restore_command" if you don't want to see that =
message.

Yours,
Laurenz Albe