I'm migrating a configuration from PgPool-II 4.6.2 to 4.7, and I'm having some issues with logdir and workdir.
According to the release notes, logdir has been renamed to workdir (see https://www.pgpool.net/docs/latest/en/html/release-4-7-0.html).
In my previous configuration (4.6) I didn't have an explicit setting for logdir, and the pooler was working. Once I updated to 4.7 the pooler did not start anymore.
$ sudo -u postgres /usr/sbin/pgpool -v
pgpool-II version 4.7.0 (tasukiboshi)
The documentation for work_dir states that it defaults to /tmp, which is a catch-all space (https://www.pgpool.net/docs/latest/en/html/runtime-misc.html#GUC-WORK-DIR).
However, a permission denied error is raised:
$ sudo -u postgres /usr/sbin/pgpool -n -d
2026-01-26 15:19:07.863: main pid 2916: DEBUG: read pgpool node id file /etc/pgpool2/pgpool_node_id
2026-01-26 15:19:07.863: main pid 2916: DETAIL: pgpool node id: 0
...
2026-01-26 15:19:07.980: main pid 2916: FATAL: watchdog child process exit with fatal error. exiting pgpool-II
2026-01-26 15:19:07.981: main pid 2916: WARNING: failed to open status file at: "/pgpool_status"
2026-01-26 15:19:07.981: main pid 2916: DETAIL: Permission denied
2026-01-26 15:19:07.981: main pid 2916: LOG: shutting down
and I don't have logdir nor work_dir in my configuration:
$ sudo grep logdir /etc/pgpool2/pgpool.conf
#logdir = '/var/log/postgresql'
$ sudo grep work_dir /etc/pgpool2/pgpool.conf
$
Now, either setting up logdir or work_dir makes the system start.
$ sudo grep work_dir /etc/pgpool2/pgpool.conf
work_dir = '/var/log/postgresql'
$ sudo grep logdir /etc/pgpool2/pgpool.conf
#logdir = '/var/log/postgresql'
$ sudo -u postgres /usr/sbin/pgpool -n -d
2026-01-26 15:31:03.400: main pid 1198: WARNING: logdir is changed to work_dir
2026-01-26 15:31:03.400: main pid 1198: DETAIL: if logdir is specified, the value will be set to work_dir
2026-01-26 15:31:03.401: main pid 1198: DEBUG: initializing pool configuration
...
026-01-26 15:31:23.782: sr_check_worker pid 1235: DEBUG: node status[0]: 1
2026-01-26 15:31:23.782: sr_check_worker pid 1235: DEBUG: node status[1]: 2
2026-01-26 15:31:23.782: sr_check_worker pid 1235: DEBUG: node status[2]: 2
2026-01-26 15:31:23.783: sr_check_worker pid 1235: DEBUG: pool_release_follow_primary_lock called
Am I misunderstanding the usage of work_dir? It seems to me it is not set to /tmp if omitted from the configuration, as well as using logdir still works.
This is from Ubuntu packaged PgPool-II, if that matters.
I'm migrating a configuration from PgPool-II
4.6.2to4.7, and I'm having some issues withlogdirandworkdir.According to the release notes,
logdirhas been renamed toworkdir(see https://www.pgpool.net/docs/latest/en/html/release-4-7-0.html).In my previous configuration (
4.6) I didn't have an explicit setting forlogdir, and the pooler was working. Once I updated to4.7the pooler did not start anymore.The documentation for
work_dirstates that it defaults to/tmp, which is a catch-all space (https://www.pgpool.net/docs/latest/en/html/runtime-misc.html#GUC-WORK-DIR).However, a permission denied error is raised:
and I don't have
logdirnorwork_dirin my configuration:Now, either setting up
logdirorwork_dirmakes the system start.Am I misunderstanding the usage of
work_dir? It seems to me it is not set to/tmpif omitted from the configuration, as well as usinglogdirstill works.This is from Ubuntu packaged PgPool-II, if that matters.