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From: Justin Swanhart <greenlion@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:28:36 -0400
Message-ID: <CAJM9iN3w3UdA3q4_Xnw+Pg+Nnxe4OAUjLQ7EgLtPe36y4A0HDA@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Archive logging not cleaning up pg_wal directory
To: pgsql-general@lists.postgresql.org
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Hi,

I have the following in my postgresql.conf for archive logging:
archive_command='test ! -f /var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f && cp
%p /var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f'

This command is properly copying the log files to my archive directory but
they remain in the `pg_wal` directory after they are copied, consuming
hundreds of gigs of space.  Am I supposed to create a cron job to clean out
the `pg_wal` directory periodically (keep only 1 day of logs I guess?)

I tried to use mv:
archive_command='test ! -f /var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f && mv
%p /var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f'

When I did this the archives were moved away to the archive directory but
when I tried to set up replication the server could not find the archived
log to replicate from so I changed it to "cp" and now have this problem.

What am I missing?

Regards,

--Justin

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr">Hi,<div><br></div><div>I=
 have the following in my postgresql.conf for archive logging:<br>archive_c=
ommand=3D&#39;test ! -f /var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f &amp;&amp;=
 cp %p /var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f&#39;</div><div><br></div><d=
iv>This command is properly copying the log files to my archive directory b=
ut they remain in the `pg_wal` directory after they are copied, consuming h=
undreds of gigs of space.=C2=A0 Am I supposed to create a cron job to clean=
 out the `pg_wal` directory periodically (keep only 1 day of logs I guess?)=
<br><br></div><div>I tried to use mv:<br>archive_command=3D&#39;test ! -f /=
var/lib/postgresql/prod_archive_logs/%f &amp;&amp; mv %p /var/lib/postgresq=
l/prod_archive_logs/%f&#39;</div><div><br></div><div>When I did this the ar=
chives were moved away to the archive directory but when I tried to set up =
replication the server could not find the=C2=A0archived log to replicate fr=
om so I changed it to &quot;cp&quot; and now have this problem.</div><div><=
br></div><div>What am I missing?</div><div><br></div><div>Regards,</div><di=
v><br></div><div>--Justin</div></div></div></div>

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