PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system known for its robustness, feature set, and performance. It’s a popular choice for many web applications and data-intensive projects. This Tutorial will guide you through the process of installing PostgreSQL on your Ubuntu 24.04 server.
First, ensure your system’s package list is up-to-date. This is a crucial step before installing any new software, as it fetches the latest information about available packages:
“`bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
“`
Next, you can install the PostgreSQL server and client packages. Ubuntu’s default repositories usually contain a stable version of PostgreSQL. The `postgresql-contrib` package adds some extra utilities and functionalities that are often useful.
“`bash
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib -y
“`
Once the installation is complete, the PostgreSQL service should start automatically. You can verify its status to ensure it’s running correctly:
“`bash
systemctl status postgresql
“`
If the service is active and running, you’re good to go. PostgreSQL creates a default user called `postgres` which has administrative privileges. To interact with the database, you’ll typically switch to this user and access the PostgreSQL prompt.
“`bash
sudo -i -u postgres
psql
“`
From the `psql` prompt, you can create new roles (users) and databases. For example, to create a new user named `myuser` with a password and a database named `mydb` owned by `myuser`:
“`sql
CREATE USER myuser WITH PASSWORD ‘your_strong_password’;
CREATE DATABASE mydb OWNER myuser;
q
“`
To exit the `postgres` user shell, type `exit`.
For security reasons, it’s recommended to configure access and authentication methods in `pg_hba.conf` and `postgresql.conf` files, located in `/etc/postgresql/{version}/main/`. For remote connections, you’ll need to modify the `listen_addresses` in `postgresql.conf` and set appropriate rules in `pg_hba.conf`.
You have successfully installed PostgreSQL on your Ubuntu 24.04 system. You can now start building applications that leverage this powerful database.
