Installation

Requirements

Before installing pgbranch, ensure you have:

• PostgreSQL - Any recent version (9.6+)
• Go 1.21+ - Required for installation via go install

Installation Methods

Using Go Install (Recommended)

The easiest way to install pgbranch is using Go’s built-in package manager:

go install github.com/le-vlad/pgbranch/cmd/pgbranch@latest

This will download, compile, and install pgbranch to your $GOPATH/bin directory.

Add to PATH

Make sure $GOPATH/bin is in your system’s PATH. You can check with:

echo $GOPATH/bin

If not set, add this to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.):

export PATH=$PATH:$(go env GOPATH)/bin

Building from Source

If you prefer to build from source:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/le-vlad/pgbranch.git
cd pgbranch

# Build the binary
go build -o pgbranch ./cmd/pgbranch

# Move to a directory in your PATH
mv pgbranch /usr/local/bin/

Verifying Installation

After installation, verify pgbranch is working:

pgbranch --help

You should see output showing the available commands and options.

Updating

To update pgbranch to the latest version:

go install github.com/le-vlad/pgbranch/cmd/pgbranch@latest

You can also check for updates using:

pgbranch update

PostgreSQL Configuration

pgbranch requires access to create and manage databases in PostgreSQL. The PostgreSQL user you configure needs the following permissions:

• CREATEDB - To create template databases for snapshots
• DROP DATABASE - To drop databases when switching branches

For local development, the default postgres superuser typically has all necessary permissions.

Connection Methods

pgbranch supports standard PostgreSQL connection methods:

1. Password authentication - Provide password via -W flag or when prompted
2. Peer authentication - Uses your system username (common on Linux)
3. Trust authentication - No password required (common in local development)

Next Steps

Once installed, proceed to the Quickstart guide to set up your first project.