Installing postgresql-client

Hi all,

I’m wondering how to install the psql command on NixOS. To be clear: I’m only interested in the client, not the server.

I’ve looked at the derivation but couldn’t find any pointers.

Is there a way to create a derivation without building from source?

Thanks!

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It seems that there is no split in the derivation.
You can just add the postgresql derivation to environment.systemPackages (or wherever you need it) and the psql command should be available.

$ nix-shell -p postgresql --command 'psql --version'
psql (PostgreSQL) 9.6.10
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bump - did anybody solve this?

Does what @Mic92 mentions not work for you?

No as that postgresql package appears to install the server (alongside the client), which I am trying to avoid :slight_smile:

It pulls the binary into path, it doesn’t run it though or configure it.

If you are just annoyed by the binary being visible in your PATH a simple wrapper might solve that:

runCommandNoCC "psql" {} ''
  mkdir -p $out/bin
  ln -s ${postgresql}/bin/psql $out/bin/psql
''

I’m sorry, but I completely fail to see the issue here. Is your concern the fact that the server binaries are present in the path?

When I install postgresql into environment.systemPackages it also starts a postgres server daemon that I don’t want installer nor running since I use containers.

I’d rather just install the postgres-client so that I can connect to my containers etc.

I was hoping that since a couple of years had passed that potentially there was a solution already :smiley:

Nobbz’s looks like the best but was hoping for something as simple as just adding a package like postgresql-client

actually forget that i don’t think it installs it as a daemon!

Correct. Whenever you install anything via environment.systemPackages there is no possible way for a daemon to start. This will never happen and is useful for you to know. Often times people new to NixOS wonder why a service isn’t running after they installed it via environment.systemPackages, not realizing they need to “install” it via services.FOO.enable = true;.

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The only downside to not having the client and server split is the space used but as postgresql_14 currently takes up around 25mb, that’s really not an issue at all which is why nobody has put in the effort to split the 2.

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Apologies for the necropoast … but how about the use case where I’m using Nix to build a Docker image and I want to include psql (client) but not the postgres server?

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but how about the use case where I’m using Nix to build a Docker image and I want to include psql (client) but not the postgres server?

I’d like to do the same thing. Currently the runtime closure postgresql package is over 300MB, while I can find an pure psql image on docker hub under 10MB

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