install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install ephemeralpg

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#ephemeralpg

nixpkgs 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 post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 8 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

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`	cli	global executable
`pg_tmp`	cli	global executable

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 generated2026-07-08

manager version3.4

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://eradman.com/ephemeralpg/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://eradman.com/ephemeralpg/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:ephemeralpg
Version	3.4
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ephemeralpg
Homepage	https://eradman.com/ephemeralpg/
Repository	https://github.com/eradman/ephemeralpg
Upstream docs	https://eradman.com/ephemeralpg
License	ISC
Source archive	https://eradman.com/ephemeralpg/code/ephemeralpg-3.4.tar.gz
Dependencies	libpq
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	ephemeralpg
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

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

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ep/ephemeralpg/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

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.

combined/ephemeralpg.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install ephemeralpg with Homebrew, Nix