.\" Copyright (c) 2022, 2026 Stefan Kreutz <mail@skreutz.com>
.\"
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.Dd $Mdocdate: April 15 2026 $
.Dt TEMP-POSTGRES 1
.Os
.Sh NAME
.Nm temp-postgres
.Nd temporary PostgreSQL server
.Sh SYNOPSIS
.Nm temp-postgres
.Op options
.Op Fl -
.Op Ar command
.Sh DESCRIPTION
The
.Nm
utility runs the PostgreSQL server off a temporary data directory.
.Pp
The options are as follows:
.Bl -tag -width Ds
.It Fl h , -help
Print help.
.It Fl d , -dbname Ar dbname
Database name.
Defaults to the name of the effective user.
.It Fl u , -username Ar username
PostgreSQL user name.
Defaults to the name of the effective user.
.It Fl -symlink Ar path
Create a symlink to the directory in which the UNIX domain socket file is stored.
.El
.Pp
.Nm
can optionally execute a given
.Ar command
once the PostgreSQL server is ready.
If so,
.Nm
will pass the following environment variables to the
.Ar command :
.Bl -tag -width Ds
.It Ev PGHOST
Absolute path to the directory in which the UNIX domain socket file is stored.
.It Ev PGDATABASE
Database name.
.It Ev PGUSER
PostgreSQL user name.
.It Ev DATABASE_URI
Connection URI.
.It Ev DATABASE_URL
Connection URI.
.El
.Pp
See also the
.Lk https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-envars.html "environment variables used by libpg" ,
and the
.Lk https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/libpq-connect.html#LIBPQ-CONNSTRING-URIS "connection URI scheme understood by libpg" .
.Sh EXIT STATUS
.Ex -std temp-postgres
.Sh EXAMPLES
Create and serve a temporary database:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
temp-postgres
.Ed
.Pp
Wrap the
.Xr psql 1
command to connect to the temporary database once the server is ready:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
temp-postgres -- psql
.Ed
.Pp
Set up a symlink to enable static client configuration:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
temp-postgres --symlink ./db
psql --host "$(realpath ./db)"
.Ed
.Pp
Specify a database name, and PostgreSQL user name:
.Bd -literal -offset indent
temp-postgres --dbname myproject --username alex
.Ed
.Sh SEE ALSO
.Xr postgres 1 ,
.Xr psql 1
.Sh AUTHORS
.An Stefan Kreutz Aq Mt mail@skreutz.com