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QRG Setup

Quick Reference Guide: Setting Up PostgreSQL on Ubuntu​

1. Install​

Update System Packages​

Make sure your system packages are up-to-date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install PostgreSQL​

Install PostgreSQL and its contrib package:

sudo apt install -y postgresql postgresql-contrib

2. Start and Ensure It's Running​

Initialize the Database Cluster​

Initialization occurs automatically during installation. To manually reinitialize:

sudo -u postgres /usr/bin/initdb /var/lib/postgresql/data

Start and Enable the PostgreSQL Service​

Ensure PostgreSQL starts at boot and is currently running:

sudo systemctl enable postgresql
sudo systemctl start postgresql

Verify the service status:

sudo systemctl status postgresql

3. Create a User and Database​

Access the PostgreSQL Shell​

Switch to the postgres user and open the PostgreSQL shell:

sudo -i -u postgres
psql

Create a Database and User​

Inside the PostgreSQL shell:

CREATE DATABASE my_database;
CREATE USER my_user WITH PASSWORD 'my_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE my_database TO my_user;
  • Note: Forgetting semicolons is a common mistake, you'll see no output and then when you check for the object you will find that its not there

Checking Common Object Types​


\l  #List databases
\du #List Users

Exit the shell:

\q