How to get into psql of a running postgres container?

postgresql docker fig
sargas picture sargas · Dec 28, 2014 · Viewed 60.7k times · Source

I created a postgres container using the tutorial on the fig website. I named the container db.

The container is running and my app connects to it fine. I tried to run the command fig run db psql with the db container running and got the error:

psql: could not connect to server: No such file or directory
    Is the server running locally and accepting
    connections on Unix domain socket "/var/run/postgresql/.s.PGSQL.5432"?

How can I get into the psql interface in the running db container?

Answer

sargas picture sargas · Dec 28, 2014

fig will create a docker container with a different name than the one used in the fig.yml file.

I got it working by finding the container name with docker ps and looking at the NAMES column.

Then running the psql command in the running container with docker exec -ti NAME_OF_CONTAINER psql -U YOUR_POSTGRES_USERNAME

Important Note:

  • docker exec runs the psqlcommand on a running container
  • docker run will start a new container.

Update

fig is now called docker-compose

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