From: Daniel Gustafsson <daniel@yesql.se>
Message-Id: <B0D99F8D-A23D-4499-848C-3073CF8D8875@yesql.se>
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Subject: Re: missing documentation detail?
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:06:48 +0100
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 <CAKFQuwY_LkJSx8j-TzK3+kuTRDr6OH6oVim-V7e0+f7zfDLDrA@mail.gmail.com>
Cc: "camac2025@yahoo.com" <camac2025@yahoo.com>,
 "pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org" <pgsql-docs@lists.postgresql.org>
To: "David G. Johnston" <david.g.johnston@gmail.com>
References: <176593231445.978860.2300752490245961611@wrigleys.postgresql.org>
 <CAKFQuwY_LkJSx8j-TzK3+kuTRDr6OH6oVim-V7e0+f7zfDLDrA@mail.gmail.com>
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> On 17 Dec 2025, at 14:20, David G. Johnston =
<david.g.johnston@gmail.com> wrote:

> This isn=E2=80=99t a good place to request feature enhancements.  =
There isn=E2=80=99t an issue with the documentation - the program =
doesn=E2=80=99t provide multiple conditional exit codes.
>=20
> Post a patch to -hackers or a feature request to -general (mailing =
list).

Absolutely right, that's the best way to propose new (or changes to) =
features.
The proposed change here seems pretty reasonable and might be as simple =
as the
(untested) attached, modeled around pg_amcheck.  I noticed that =
pg_amcheck
doesn't document its different return values either which seems like an
oversight.

--
Daniel Gustafsson

=EF=BF=BC=

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div>On 17 Dec 2025, =
at 14:20, David G. Johnston &lt;david.g.johnston@gmail.com&gt; =
wrote:</div></blockquote><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><div>This =
isn=E2=80=99t a good place to request feature enhancements.&nbsp; There =
isn=E2=80=99t an issue with the documentation - the program doesn=E2=80=99=
t provide multiple conditional exit codes.</div><div><br></div><div>Post =
a patch to -hackers or a feature request to -general (mailing =
list).</div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div><div><div>Absolutely =
right, that's the best way to propose new (or changes to) =
features.</div><div>The proposed change here seems pretty reasonable and =
might be as simple as the</div><div>(untested) attached, modeled around =
pg_amcheck. &nbsp;I noticed that pg_amcheck</div><div>doesn't document =
its different return values either which seems like =
an</div><div>oversight.</div><div><br></div></div></div></div><div>
<div>--<br>Daniel Gustafsson</div>

</div>
<br><div></div></body></html>=

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diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_amcheck.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_amcheck.sgml
index ef2bdfd19ae..7ad7889677e 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_amcheck.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_amcheck.sgml
@@ -68,6 +68,13 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
    <replaceable>dbname</replaceable> can also be a
    <link linkend="libpq-connstring">connection string</link>.
   </para>
+
+  <para>
+   If <application>pg_amcheck</application> encounters a problem, the program
+   return value will be <literal>2</literal>, if there is a problem with the
+   parameters passed to the program the return value will be
+   <literal>1</literal>.
+  </para>
  </refsect1>
 
  <refsect1>
diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_verifybackup.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_verifybackup.sgml
index 61c12975e4a..aa979e56bfb 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_verifybackup.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pg_verifybackup.sgml
@@ -120,6 +120,13 @@ PostgreSQL documentation
    In contrast, the data file integrity checks should work with any version
    of the server that generates a <literal>backup_manifest</literal> file.
   </para>
+
+  <para>
+   If <literal>pg_verifybackup</literal> encounters a problem with the backup,
+   the program return value will be <literal>2</literal>, if there is a problem
+   with the parameters passed to the program the return value will be
+   <literal>1</literal>.
+  </para>
  </refsect1>
 
  <refsect1>
diff --git a/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c b/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c
index c9b24df7c05..0bc967268cb 100644
--- a/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c
+++ b/src/bin/pg_verifybackup/pg_verifybackup.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ report_manifest_error(JsonManifestParseContext *context, const char *fmt,...)
 	pg_log_generic_v(PG_LOG_ERROR, PG_LOG_PRIMARY, gettext(fmt), ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 
-	exit(1);
+	exit(2);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1238,7 +1238,7 @@ report_backup_error(verifier_context *context, const char *restrict fmt,...)
 
 	context->saw_any_error = true;
 	if (context->exit_on_error)
-		exit(1);
+		exit(2);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -1253,7 +1253,7 @@ report_fatal_error(const char *restrict fmt,...)
 	pg_log_generic_v(PG_LOG_ERROR, PG_LOG_PRIMARY, gettext(fmt), ap);
 	va_end(ap);
 
-	exit(1);
+	exit(2);
 }
 
 /*

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