macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ephemeralpglocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew / rank 5077
Install ephemeralpg with Homebrew, Nix
Run tests on an isolated, temporary Postgres database. Version 3.4 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with nix: nix profile install nixpkgs#ephemeralpg.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ephemeralpgnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ep/ephemeralpg/package.nix · source: api.github.com
overview
Package summary
Run tests on an isolated, temporary Postgres database
Project links
Commands and aliases
- getsocket
- pg_tmp
history
Project history and usage
Ephemeral PostgreSQL is a compact test utility centered on `pg_tmp`, a shell script that starts isolated temporary PostgreSQL databases. It gives test suites a real PostgreSQL server without making developers keep a long-lived database around or substitute SQLite for PostgreSQL behavior.
Project history
The NEWS file records version 1.0 on January 7, 2015 as an initial Bitbucket release and describes it as a cross-platform implementation in fewer than one hundred lines of code. Later releases added TCP binding through the bundled `getsocket` utility, better cleanup behavior, PostgreSQL-version compatibility fixes, extra server options, and a test framework.
The project moved hosting from Bitbucket to GitHub in version 2.8 on September 25, 2019. Its public project page was still maintained in 2025 and documents `pg_tmp` as a compact shell script for unit and integration testing with PostgreSQL in any language.
Adoption history
ephemeralpg is not a mass-market database package, but it has a clear testing niche: teams that need PostgreSQL-specific behavior in tests without shared state. Homebrew and Nix packaging make the tool easy to install in developer workstations and CI images.
How it is used
A common workflow is `uri=$(pg_tmp)` followed by running `psql` or an application test suite against that connection URI. The tool can start a database on a random TCP port, keep it alive for a specified window, pass server options such as disabling autovacuum, and garbage-collect temporary databases automatically.
The project page explains several performance techniques: avoiding fully sequential init/start/stop work, disabling runtime fsync, spinning for the first connection, pre-initializing a background database under `/tmp`, and shutting down asynchronously.
Why package nerds care
ephemeralpg is interesting because it solves a common developer-tools problem with shell and standard PostgreSQL tools instead of a service daemon. It is small, inspectable, and very package-manager-friendly: install it, call `pg_tmp`, and get a disposable database URI.
Timeline
- 2015-01-07: Version 1.0 initially released on Bitbucket.
- 2015-12-12: Version 1.7 added a more extensive `make test` framework.
- 2016-03-29: Version 2.0 allowed temporary directories with initdb/start/stop arguments.
- 2019-09-25: Version 2.8 moved hosting from Bitbucket to GitHub.
- 2025-02-06: Version 3.4 adjusted startup behavior and Mac OS locale handling.
Related projects
- ephemeralpg depends on the standard PostgreSQL toolchain, especially `initdb`, `pg_ctl`, `postgres`, and `psql`, and includes helper utilities such as `getsocket` plus optional contrib scripts.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:database
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
getsocket | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
pg_tmp | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version3.4
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ephemeralpg |
|---|---|
| Version | 3.4 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://eradman.com/ephemeralpg/ |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Nix95%
ephemeralpg
nix profile install nixpkgs#ephemeralpg- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ephemeralpg
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation