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‎GETTING_STARTED.md‎

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‎README.md‎

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# Postgres + goodies
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# Getting Started with Supabase Postgres
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This guide covers getting up and running with Supabase Postgres. After reading this guide, you will understand:
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* What Supabase Postgres provides and why you might want to use it
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* How the project is organized and what each directory contains
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* How to build and run Postgres with extensions locally
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* The basics of working with the extension ecosystem
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---
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## What is Supabase Postgres?
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Supabase Postgres is a batteries-included PostgreSQL distribution that provides unmodified PostgreSQL with a curated set of the most useful extensions pre-installed. Think of it as PostgreSQL with superpowers - you get the reliability and power of standard PostgreSQL, plus immediate access to extensions for tasks like:
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* Full-text search and indexing
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* Geospatial data processing
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* Time-series data management
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* JSON validation and GraphQL support
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* Cryptography and security
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* Message queuing
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* And much more
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The goal is simple: make it fast and easy to get started with a production-ready PostgreSQL setup without having to hunt down, compile, and configure dozens of extensions yourself.
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## Philosophy
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Supabase Postgres follows these core principles:
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1. **Unmodified PostgreSQL** - We don't fork or modify PostgreSQL itself. You get standard PostgreSQL with extensions.
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2. **Curated Extensions** - We include well-maintained, production-tested extensions that solve real problems.
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3. **Multi-version Support** - Currently supporting PostgreSQL 15, 17, and OrioleDB-17.
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4. **Ready for Production** - Configured with sensible defaults for replication, security, and performance.
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5. **Open Source** - Everything is open source and can be self-hosted.
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## Directory Structure
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Here's a comprehensive overview of the project's directory structure:
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| File/Directory | Purpose |
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| -------------- | ------- |
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| **nix/** | Core build system directory containing all Nix expressions for building PostgreSQL and extensions |
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| nix/postgresql/ | PostgreSQL version configurations, patches, and base package definitions |
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| nix/ext/ | Individual extension package definitions and build configurations |
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| nix/ext/wrappers/ | Wrapper scripts and utilities for extensions |
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| nix/ext/tests/ | Extension-specific test suites |
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| nix/overlays/ | Nix overlays for customizing and overriding package definitions |
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| nix/tools/ | Build tools, utilities, and helper scripts |
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| nix/docker/ | Docker image build definitions using Nix |
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| nix/tests/ | Comprehensive integration test suites for validating builds |
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| nix/tests/smoke/ | Quick smoke tests for basic functionality |
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| nix/tests/migrations/ | Migration and upgrade test scenarios |
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| nix/tests/expected/ | Expected `pg_regress` test outputs for validation |
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| nix/tests/sql/ | SQL test scripts that are run in `pg_regress` tests |
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| nix/docs/ | Build system documentation |
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| **ansible/** | Infrastructure as Code for server configuration and deployment of production hosted AWS AMI image |
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| ansible/playbook.yml | Main Ansible playbook for PostgreSQL/PostgREST/pgbouncer/Auth server setup |
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| ansible/tasks/ | Modular Ansible tasks for specific configuration steps |
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| ansible/files/ | Static files, scripts, and templates used by Ansible |
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| ansible/vars.yml | AMI version tracking, legacy package version tracking |
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| **migrations/** | Database migration management and upgrade tools |
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| migrations/db/ | Database schema migrations |
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| migrations/db/migrations/ | Individual migration files |
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| migrations/db/init-scripts/ | Database initialization scripts |
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| migrations/tests/ | Migration testing infrastructure |
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| migrations/tests/database/ | Database-specific migration tests |
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| migrations/tests/storage/ | Storage-related migration tests |
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| migrations/tests/extensions/ | Extension migration tests |
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| **docker/** | Container definitions and Docker-related files |
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| docker/nix/ | Nix-based Docker build configurations |
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| Dockerfile-15 | Docker image definition for PostgreSQL 15 |
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| Dockerfile-17 | Docker image definition for PostgreSQL 17 |
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| **tests/** | Integration and system tests |
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| testinfra/ | Infrastructure tests using pytest framework |
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| tests/ | General integration test suites |
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| **scripts/** | Utility scripts for development and deployment |
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| **docs/** | Additional documentation, images, and resources |
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| **ebssurrogate/** | AWS EBS surrogate building for AMI creation |
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| **http/** | HTTP-related configurations and files |
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| **rfcs/** | Request for Comments - design documents and proposals |
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| **db/** | Database-related utilities and configurations |
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| **.github/** | GitHub-specific configurations (Actions, templates, etc.) |
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| **Root Config Files** | |
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| .gitignore | Git ignore patterns |
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| .envrc.recommended | Recommended environment variables for development |
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| ansible.cfg | Ansible configuration |
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| amazon-arm64-nix.pkr.hcl | Packer configuration for AWS ARM64 builds |
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| common-nix.vars.pkr.hcl | Common Packer variables |
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| development-arm.vars.pkr.hcl | ARM development environment variables |
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| CONTRIBUTING.md | Contribution guidelines |
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| README.md | Main project documentation |
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## Key Concepts
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### Extensions
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Extensions are the superpower of PostgreSQL. They add functionality without modifying the core database. Supabase Postgres includes dozens of pre-built extensions covering:
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* **Data Types & Validation** - pg_jsonschema, pg_hashids
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* **Search & Indexing** - pgroonga, rum, hypopg
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* **Geospatial** - PostGIS, pgrouting
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* **Time-series** - TimescaleDB
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* **Security** - pgsodium, vault, pgaudit
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* **Development** - pgtap, plpgsql_check
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* **And many more...**
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### Multi-version Support
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The project supports multiple PostgreSQL versions simultaneously:
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* **PostgreSQL 15** - Stable, battle-tested version
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* **PostgreSQL 17** - Latest features and improvements
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* **OrioleDB-17** - Experimental storage engine for PostgreSQL 17
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Each version has its own set of compatible extensions defined in the Nix build system.
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### Build System (Nix)
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The project uses Nix as its build system, which provides:
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* **Reproducible Builds** - Same input always produces the same output
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* **Declarative Configuration** - Define what you want, not how to build it
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* **Dependency Management** - Automatic handling of complex dependency trees
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* **Cross-platform Support** - Build for Linux, macOS, and more
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## Common Tasks
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### Building Locally
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To build PostgreSQL with extensions locally:
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```bash
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# Build PostgreSQL 15 with extensions
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nix build .#psql_15/bin
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# Build PostgreSQL 17
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nix build .#psql_17/bin
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# Build a specific extension
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nix build .#psql_17/exts/pg_graphql
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```
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### Running Tests
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```bash
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# Run all tests
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nix flake check -L
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# Run specific test suite (for macos apple silicon for example)
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nix build .#checks.aarch64-darwin.psql_17 -L
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```
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### Creating Docker Images
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```bash
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# Build Docker image for PostgreSQL 15
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docker build -f Dockerfile-15 -t supabase-postgres:15 .
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# Build Docker image for PostgreSQL 17
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docker build -f Dockerfile-17 -t supabase-postgres:17 .
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```
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## Next Steps
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Now that you understand the basics of Supabase Postgres:
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* Check the [Installation Guide](https://github.com/supabase/postgres/wiki) for deployment options
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* Explore the [Extension Documentation](#) to learn about available extensions
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* Review [Contributing Guidelines](CONTRIBUTING.md) if you want to contribute
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* Join the [Supabase Community](https://github.com/supabase/postgres/discussions) for questions and discussions
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## Getting Help
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* **GitHub Issues** - For bugs and feature requests
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* **Discussions** - For questions and general discussion
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* **Wiki** - For detailed documentation
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* **Discord** - For real-time chat with the community
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---
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This is the same PostgreSQL build that powers [Supabase](https://supabase.io), battle-tested in production by over one million projects.
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Unmodified Postgres with some useful plugins. Our goal with this repo is not to modify Postgres, but to provide some of the most common extensions with a one-click install.
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## Primary Features
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- ✅ Postgres [postgresql-15.14](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/15/index.html)
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| [PostgREST](https://postgrest.org/en/stable/) | [v13.0.4](https://github.com/PostgREST/postgrest/releases/tag/v13.0.4) | Instantly transform your database into an RESTful API. |
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| [WAL-G](https://github.com/wal-g/wal-g#wal-g) | [v2.0.1](https://github.com/wal-g/wal-g/releases/tag/v2.0.1) | Tool for physical database backup and recovery. | -->
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## Getting Started
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For a comprehensive guide to understanding and working with this project, see our [Getting Started Guide](GETTING_STARTED.md).
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## Install
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