Install PostgreSQL
You can install Postgres directly on your machine or run it via Docker. Docker is great for keeping environments consistent across teams.
Option 1: Local Install
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install postgresql@16
brew services start postgresql@16
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresql
Option 2: Docker
docker run --name postgres \
-e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres \
-p 5432:5432 \
-d postgres:16
Create a Database & User
# Open psql
psql postgres
-- Create a user and database
CREATE USER app_user WITH PASSWORD 'secret';
CREATE DATABASE app_db OWNER app_user;
-- Grant privileges
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE app_db TO app_user;
Connection String
Most tools use a URL connection string:
postgresql://app_user:secret@localhost:5432/app_db