## pg_waldump

pg_waldump — display a human-readable rendering of the write-ahead log of a PostgreSQL database cluster

## Synopsis

`pg_waldump` [`option`...] [`startseg` [`endseg`]]

## Description

`pg_waldump` displays the write-ahead log (WAL) and is mainly useful for debugging or educational purposes.

This utility can only be run by the user who installed the server, because it requires read-only access to the data directory.

## Options

The following command-line options control the location and format of the output:

`startseg`

  Start reading at the specified log segment file. This implicitly determines the path in which files will be searched for, and the timeline to use.

`endseg`

  Stop after reading the specified log segment file.

`-b`
`--bkp-details`

  Output detailed information about backup blocks.

`-e `end``
`--end=`end``

  Stop reading at the specified WAL location, instead of reading to the end of the log stream.

`-f`
`--follow`

  After reaching the end of valid WAL, keep polling once per second for new WAL to appear.

`-n `limit``
`--limit=`limit``

  Display the specified number of records, then stop.

`-p `path``
`--path=`path``

  Specifies a directory to search for log segment files or a directory with a `pg_wal` subdirectory that contains such files. The default is to search in the current directory, the `pg_wal` subdirectory of the current directory, and the `pg_wal` subdirectory of `PGDATA`.

`-r `rmgr``
`--rmgr=`rmgr``

  Only display records generated by the specified resource manager. If `list` is passed as name, print a list of valid resource manager names, and exit.

`-s `start``
`--start=`start``

  WAL location at which to start reading. The default is to start reading the first valid log record found in the earliest file found.

`-t `timeline``
`--timeline=`timeline``

  Timeline from which to read log records. The default is to use the value in `startseg`, if that is specified; otherwise, the default is 1.

`-V`
`--version`

  Print the pg_waldump version and exit.

`-x `xid``
`--xid=`xid``

  Only display records marked with the given transaction ID.

`-z`
`--stats[=record]`

  Display summary statistics (number and size of records and full-page images) instead of individual records. Optionally generate statistics per-record instead of per-rmgr.

`-?`
`--help`

  Show help about pg_waldump command line arguments, and exit.

## Environment

`PGDATA`

  Data directory; see also the `-p` option.

`PG_COLOR`

  Specifies whether to use color in diagnostic messages. Possible values are `always`, `auto` and `never`.

## Notes

Can give wrong results when the server is running.

Only the specified timeline is displayed (or the default, if none is specified). Records in other timelines are ignored.

pg_waldump cannot read WAL files with suffix `.partial`. If those files need to be read, `.partial` suffix needs to be removed from the file name.

## See Also

Section 29.5