Running PostgreSQL in Docker Container

Use Postgres locally with Docker

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Setup PostgreSQL

Use docker pull postgres to Pull Docker image

Or start it with the run command

docker run -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword -p 5432:5432 postgres

The environment variable POSTGRES_PASSWORD set the password for the database

The default port for the database is 5432, use -p 5432:5432 to exposed it on the host

Setup pgAdmin

Use docker pull dpage/pgadmin4 to Pull Docker image

Run the pgAdmin by provide environment variables

docker run --name pgadmin
 -p 15668:80
 -e "PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL=admin@admin.com"
 -e "PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword"
 -d dpage/pgadmin4:latest

PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL and PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD for login

-p 15668:80 to Expose the 80 port

Find the ip address of PostgreSQL database container that running in docker

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE                   COMMAND                  CREATED      STATUS          PORTS                            NAMES
9e6776ff8b38   dpage/pgadmin4:latest   "/entrypoint.sh"         2 days ago   Up 25 minutes   443/tcp, 0.0.0.0:15668->80/tcp   agitated_mayer
393d048a6e9b   postgres                "docker-entrypoint.s…"   3 days ago   Up 35 minutes   0.0.0.0:5432->5432/tcp           vibrant_cartwright

$ docker inspect vibrant_cartwright -f "{{json .NetworkSettings.Networks.bridge.IPAddress }}"
"172.17.0.2"

Then use it as host address of pgAdmin server connection

Connect to the database in container

psql console

Check the container name

$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE      COMMAND                   CREATED      STATUS          PORTS                    NAMES
393d048a6e9b   postgres   "docker-entrypoint.s…"   3 days ago   Up 37 seconds   0.0.0.0:5432->5432/tcp   vibrant_cartwright

A exec command to open the connection using psql console

$ docker exec -it vibrant_cartwright psql -U postgres postgres
psql (16.2 (Debian 16.2-1.pgdg120+2))
Type "help" for help.

Use \d to show database information

postgres=# \d
Did not find any relations.

Connection string for host application

If you want to connect the database by connection string, for example .env file

DATABASE_URL=postgres://postgres:mysecretpassword@localhost:5432/postgres

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Running PostgreSQL in Docker Container with Volume