Similar to the postgresql.conf file, there's another configuration file named postgresql.auto.conf whose location always defaults to the PostgreSQL data directory, regardless of the operating system. Its location cannot be modified.
Why do we need another configuration file; that is, postgresql.auto.conf?
When we open a postgresql.conf file and see its contents, we see a big list of parameters. Usually, most of them are commented, which means that the default values are automatically assigned to those parameters. You could always uncomment and edit the values to modify a specific parameter. However, does it not become difficult to track the changes you have made over a certain period of time?
In Oracle-like databases, you can simply run an ALTER SYSTEM command to modify a server parameter that may be automatically applied to the spfile (server parameter) file. You can also specify that these changes need to be persistent....
