Build: Installing Postgres on Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Bookworm)

Build: Installing Postgres on Raspberry Pi OS (Debian Bookworm)


Why PostgreSQL on Raspberry Pi?

PostgreSQL is a powerful, open-source relational database that’s known for its reliability, flexibility, and standards compliance. It’s the same engine trusted by startups and enterprises alike—and yes, it runs beautifully on a Raspberry Pi. Whether you’re building a personal project, logging sensor data, or testing out Python scripts, having Postgres on your Pi gives you real-world database power in a tiny, affordable package.

PostgreSQL is in the default Debian repos, so you don’t need pip or anything exotic. Just update and install:

Bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib  

This installs the Postgres server, client tools, and some helpful utilities. After that, check the service:

Bash

sudo systemctl status postgresql

If it’s not already running, you can start it with:

Bash

sudo systemctl start postgresql  

By default, it creates a user named postgres. You’ll use that to manage your databases. To switch into that user:

Bash

sudo -i -u postgres  

Then you’re in a little Postgres sandbox. You can enter the Postgres interactive shell:

Bash

psql   

Now let’s create your simple test database:

SQL

CREATE DATABASE test_env;
\c test_env
CREATE TABLE demo_users (
    id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY,
    username VARCHAR(50),
    email VARCHAR(100)
);
INSERT INTO demo_users (username, email) 
    VALUES ('prasad_tester', 'prasad@example.com');
\q   

Exit the postgres user shell with exit and you’re back to normal.


Next Steps

At this point, you’ve got PostgreSQL running on your Raspberry Pi, a working database named test_env, and a sample demo_users table ready to go. This setup forms the base layer for all kinds of Python+Postgres workflows—from lightweight automation scripts to full-blown web apps running on the Pi.


If you'd like to test that everything's wired up correctly, grab the companion Python scripts in this GitHub Gist and check out the next post in this series:


Build: Fetch Data from Postgres Using Python — where we connect to your new database and print out the demo data you just created.


After that, we’ll walk through inserting new data into your table with Python in Part 3 of this mini-series.


You’re now officially Pi-powered and database-ready. Onward.

Need Postgres Expertise?

We're happy to help you with your Postgres projects!  Feel free to contact us.

Email: info@pacificw.com

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