Local Postgres Database, using Docker April 18, 2019

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• Installation
• Usage
• Maintenance
  • Connecting using psql
  • Adding a new user and database
  • Tailing the logs

Installation

Run the following docker command:

docker run --name postgresDb -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres -d -p 5432:5432 -v postgresDbData:/var/lib/postgresql/data postgres

Where:

• --name will name the container postgresDb
• -p will expose port 5432 to the host machine
• -v will create a volume named postgresDbData, so the database data will persist between uses

For more information, read docker run --help

Usage

The Docker container running the database can be used the same way as any other instance of a Postgres database. This means you can connect to it using PgAdmin or any other database access tool, such as DBeaver.

Postgres connection strings are formatted like so: jdbc:postgresql://<host>:<port>/<database>. The driver's class name is org.postgresql.Driver. The table below contains the default connection information.

Parameter	Value
Connection string	jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/postgres
Host	localhost
Port	5432
Database	postgres
User	postgres
Password	postgres

Maintenance

Connecting using psql

To connect using psql, simply run the following docker command:

> docker exec -ti postgresDb psql -U postgres
psql (11.2 (Debian 11.2-1.pgdg90+1))
Type "help" for help.

postgres=# ...
postgres=# exit

Where:

• -ti allows to type in an interactive shell
• -U provides the user using psql

For more information, read docker exec --help

Adding a new user and database

To add a new user and database, start by connecting to the container using psql, then simply run the following commands:

postgres=# create user <user> with password '<password>';
postgres=# create database <database> owner <user>;
postgres=# exit

Tailing the logs

To tail the logs, simply run the following docker command:

docker logs -f postgresDb --tail 500

Where:

• -f will keep following the logs in real time
• --tail will show the last 500 lines of log

For more information, read docker logs --help

Docker Cheatsheet
Last updated on August 7, 2019

— Etienne Lamoureux