Getting Started: Local Postgres for Testing

Spin up PostgreSQL fast for throwaway experiments or ongoing local work. Pick one of the options below.

Option A — Docker one‑liner (quick, disposable)

Runs Postgres in the background on port 5432 with a simple password. Good for short sessions.

docker run -d --name pg-test \
    -e POSTGRES_USER=postgres \
    -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres \
    -e POSTGRES_DB=app \
    -p 5432:5432 \
    postgres:16

Connect with psql:

psql "postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/app"

Notes

• Stop/remove when done: docker rm -f pg-test.
• For persistence across restarts, add a named volume: -v pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data (and create it once with docker volume create pgdata).

Option B — Docker Compose (persistent dev database)

Create docker-compose.yml in your project and bring it up when you need a local DB. This setup adds a healthcheck and a named volume.

services:
    db:
        image: postgres:16
        container_name: pg-dev
        ports:
            - "5432:5432"
        environment:
            POSTGRES_USER: postgres
            POSTGRES_PASSWORD: postgres
            POSTGRES_DB: app
        volumes:
            - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
    pgdata: {}

Bring it up/down:

docker compose up -d
docker compose down

Connect:

psql "postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/app"

Optional: export a DATABASE_URL for apps/tests.

export DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/app"

Option C — Zero‑setup online playground

Use a browser-based PostgreSQL to try SQL without installing anything:

• Aiven Playground: https://aiven.io/tools/pg-playground

Great for quick experiments; note that extensions and persistence are limited.

Quick sanity check (any option)

Run a tiny session to confirm everything works:

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS t(id int primary key, v text);
INSERT INTO t VALUES (1,'a') ON CONFLICT DO NOTHING;
SELECT * FROM t ORDER BY id;