Installing PostgreSQL on Ubuntu 18.04

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source object-relational database system that is known for its reliability, flexibility, and scalability. It provides advanced features like full-text search, geospatial support, and extensibility through its extension framework. In this guide, we will walk you through the installation process of PostgreSQL on Ubuntu 18.04.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Before installing any software, it's important to update the system packages to their latest versions. Open a terminal and run the following command:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install PostgreSQL

Once the system packages are updated, you can proceed with the installation of PostgreSQL. Run the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt install postgresql

Step 3: Verify Installation

After the installation is complete, you can verify it by checking the version of PostgreSQL. Run the following command:

psql --version

Step 4: Access PostgreSQL

By default, PostgreSQL creates a system user named "postgres" during the installation. You can switch to the "postgres" user and access the PostgreSQL shell using the following command:

sudo su - postgres

You can now use commands like "psql" to interact with the PostgreSQL database.

Step 5: Create a New User and Database

To create a new user and database in PostgreSQL, you can follow these steps:

1. Switch to the "postgres" user: sudo su - postgres
2. Access the PostgreSQL shell: psql
3. Create a new user: CREATE USER myuser WITH PASSWORD 'mypassword';
4. Create a new database: CREATE DATABASE mydatabase OWNER myuser;
5. Grant all privileges to the user on the database: GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE mydatabase TO myuser;
6. Exit the PostgreSQL shell: \q

Step 6: Start/Stop/Restart PostgreSQL

To start, stop, or restart the PostgreSQL service on Ubuntu, you can use the following commands:

• Start PostgreSQL: sudo service postgresql start
• Stop PostgreSQL: sudo service postgresql stop
• Restart PostgreSQL: sudo service postgresql restart

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed PostgreSQL on Ubuntu 18.04. You can now use PostgreSQL to build and manage powerful databases for your applications.