How to install and run postgresql in conda

install-and-start-postgresql-in-conda-locally

This gist I write, because I couldn't find any step by step instructions 
how to install and start postgresql locally (using conda within a conda environment - with the result
that you can run it without sudo/admin rights on your machine!)
and not globally in the operating system (which requires sudo/admin rights on that machine).

I hope, this will help especially people new to postgresql 
(and those who don't have sudo/admin rights on a specific machine but want
to run postgresql there)!

Prerequisite is to have miniconda already installed in your Computer.
In Windows, we use Scoop to install miniconda.
Installing minicionda as well as Scoop doesn't require sudo/admin rights on your machine.

This is the beauty of conda and scoop. You can completely use it as a non-admin.
And that is also the reason why I show you how to install and run postrgesql locally - without
sudo / admin rights here.

####################################
# install miniconda
####################################

# Following the instructions [here](https://www.anaconda.com/docs/getting-started/miniconda/install#quickstart-install-instructions)

# In MacOS/Linux:
mkdir -p ~/miniconda3
curl https://repo.anaconda.com/miniconda/Miniconda3-latest-MacOSX-arm64.sh -o ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh
bash ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh -b -u -p ~/miniconda3
rm ~/miniconda3/miniconda.sh
source ~/miniconda3/bin/activate # initialize conda
conda init --all

# In Windows PowerShell
# Following https://github.com/ScoopInstaller/Scoop
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser # install scoop first
Invoke-RestMethod -Uri https://get.scoop.sh | Invoke-Expression

scoop bucket add extras # the bucket 'extras' is needed for miniconda!
scoop install miniconda

# scoop is for all future installations as a developer super useful
# it makes installations in windows more like linux installations

# alternatively: You can in Windows also activate WSL2, install Ubuntu
# (Windows Subsystem of Linux)
# and then in the Ubuntu shell follow the Linux instructions in your PowerShell

# also in PowerShell after installation, initilize conda by:
conda init --all

# with conda (in this case miniconda and not anaconda) installed, 
# you can now follow the rest of the installations

####################################
# create conda environment
####################################

# in conda, you create a new conda environment by:
conda create --name myenv   
# myenv is just an example environment name - use your name of preference!

# enter the environment
conda activate myenv

####################################
# install postgresql via conda
####################################

conda install -y -c conda-forge postgresql

####################################
# create a base database locally
####################################

initdb -D mylocal_db

##############################
# now start the server modus/instance of postgres
##############################

pg_ctl -D mylocal_db -l logfile start

## waiting for server to start.... done
## server started

# now the server is up


####################################
# create a non-superuser (more safety!)
####################################

createuser --encrypted --pwprompt mynonsuperuser
# asks for name and password

####################################
# using this super user, create inner database inside the base database
####################################

createdb --owner=mynonsuperuser myinner_db


####################################
# in this point, if you run some program,
# you connect your program with this inner database
# e.g. Django 
####################################

# in django (Python) e.g. you open with your favorite editor:
nano <mysite>/settings.py # or instead of nano your favorite editor!

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql',
        'NAME': 'myinner_db',
        'USER': 'mynonsuperuser',
        'PASSWORD': '<mynonsuperuserpassword>',
        'HOST': 'localhost',
        'PORT': '',
    }
}




# and it is available for django
# so that you can do

##############################
# do with the connected program these further steps
##############################

# first install psycopg2
# because django requires this for handling postgresql
conda install -c anaconda psycopg2

# then now you can do:
python manage.py migrate
# to fully integreate the postgresql into your django website

# and to be able to use the database, you also need to create a superuser
python manage.py createsuperuser --username name 



################################
# stop running the postgres instance under ubuntu
################################

# monitor whether a postgres instance/server is running or not
ps aux | grep postgres
# if no instance is running, you will see only one line as the answer to your query - which is from your grep search!
# ending with: grep --color=auto postgres
# ignore this line!
# if an instance of postgresql server is running, then several
# processes are runnng
# you can kill the server by the first number of the leading line!

kill <number>

# e.g. the output of `ps aux | grep postgres` was:

# username  2673  0.0  0.0  14760   512 pts/11   S+   07:34   0:00 grep --color=auto postgres
# username 30550  0.0  0.0 179144 18996 ?        S    Jun13   0:01 /home/username/miniconda3/envs/django/bin/postgres -D mylocal_db
# username 30552  0.0  0.0 179276  4756 ?        Ss   Jun13   0:00 postgres: checkpointer process   
# username 30553  0.0  0.0 179144  5216 ?        Ss   Jun13   0:01 postgres: writer process   
# username 30554  0.0  0.0 179144  8464 ?        Ss   Jun13   0:01 postgres: wal writer process   
# username 30555  0.0  0.0 179700  5792 ?        Ss   Jun13   0:01 postgres: autovacuum launcher process   
# username 30556  0.0  0.0  34228  3416 ?        Ss   Jun13   0:03 postgres: stats collector process  

# then # 2673 is just the 'grep --color=auto postgres' so ignore
# the line ending with 'postgres -D /path/to/mylocal_db' is the leading line!
# take first number occuring in this line (PID - process ID number) which is 30550, therefore kill it by:
kill 30550


####################################
# run postgres as a non-server in the background
####################################

postgres -D db_djangogirls & # runs postgres
# press RET (return) to send it to background!

# you can stop and switch to server mode by
# following 'stop running postgres instance under ubuntu'

##############################
# stop non-server or server modus/instance of postgres
##############################

ps aux | grep postgres # see detailed instructions for finding the correct <process ID> 
# under 'stop running postgres instance under ubuntu'! And then do:
kill <process ID> # to stop postgres




Have fun with your completely locally running - more safe - postgresql!!!

By running pg_ctl -D mylocal_db -l logfile start, is the database server running all the time? How about after restarting the machine. Is they any ways to set up a systemctl services here?

Thanks, I had to come over to these instructions yet once again...

Thanks! Finding this saved me from a lot of headache ;-)

Helped me out so much! Thanks for this

Happy that it helped you @chintani @jmmichaud @Isaamarod @yogenderPalChandra !

I get error when I run:
pg_ctl -D mylocal_db -l logfile start
the error:
pg_ctl: could not start server
Examine the log output.

@IceBear0149 Then probably you should examine the log output ;)

This saved my time! thank you

It helped a lot!

Thank you to your help :)
If you don't mind, Let me know reference or document about code?

Thank you to your help :) If you don't mind, Let me know reference or document about code?

Which reference or document you mean? Except the normal instructions for global postgresql - how to do it in the conda environment, I had to found out by trial and error and guessing.

Thank you to your help :) If you don't mind, Let me know reference or document about code?

Which reference or document you mean? Except the normal instructions for global postgresql - how to do it in the conda environment, I had to found out by trial and error and guessing.

Oh, I understood. Thanks.

Thank you for the information ❤️

@Pcr-dev Welcome! Happy that it helped you!