Installing PostgreSQL on macOS

I use PostgreSQL for my projects, and I want to share with you how to install it on macOS. Yea can read a little bit more about how my website works in my article How I built my blog with Next.js.

Step 1: Homebrew Installation

First, let's ensure that you have Homebrew, a package manager for macOS, installed on your system. If you don't have it already, you can install it using the following command in your terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"

Step 2: Installing PostgreSQL

With Homebrew in place, we can now proceed to install PostgreSQL. Open your terminal and run the following command:

brew install postgresql

Homebrew will fetch and install PostgreSQL along with its dependencies. This process may take a few minutes.

Step 3: Starting and Stopping PostgreSQL

After the installation is complete, you can start the PostgreSQL server with the following command:

brew services start postgresql

To stop the PostgreSQL server when you're done, use:

brew services stop postgresql

Step 4: Creating a Database

Now that PostgreSQL is up and running, you can create your first database. Use the following command to access the PostgreSQL interactive terminal:

psql

You can create a new database with the following SQL command, replacing mydatabase with your desired database name:

CREATE DATABASE mydatabase;

Step 5: Accessing PostgreSQL

You can access PostgreSQL using various database clients and tools, or you can continue to use the terminal. To connect to your newly created database, use:

psql -d mydatabase

Step 6: Setting a Password (Optional)*

By default, PostgreSQL is installed without a password. It's highly recommended to set a password for the postgres user to enhance security. To do this, run:

psql
ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD 'yourpassword';

Replace yourpassword with a strong password of your choice.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully installed PostgreSQL on your macOS system. You're now ready to create, manage, and interact with relational databases using this powerful and versatile database management system.

Remember to consult the PostgreSQL documentation and official resources for more advanced configuration and usage options. Happy database management!