PostgreSQL Docker Container

A Dockerized PostgreSQL database setup using Alpine Linux, designed for easy deployment and customization.

Overview

This repository contains the necessary files to build a PostgreSQL Docker container. The container is pre-configured to initialize databases, users, and execute custom scripts on startup. It uses the lightweight Alpine Linux base image for efficiency.

Prerequisites

• Docker installed on your system
• Access to the base image git.esculta.es/aesculta/alpine-base (or modify the Dockerfile to use a public base image)

Getting Started

Run the container

docker run -d \
  --name my-postgres \
  -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=mysecretpassword \
  -e POSTGRES_USER=customuser \
  -e POSTGRES_DB=mydatabase \
  -v postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data \
  -p 5432:5432 \
  git.esculta.es/aesculta/postgres:latest

Environment Variables

Configure the container using these environment variables:

• POSTGRES_USER (default: postgres): Database superuser name

• POSTGRES_DB (default: same as POSTGRES_USER): Default database name

• POSTGRES_PASSWORD: Password for the superuser (recommended for production)

Warning: If no password is set, the container will use trust authentication (insecure).

Initialization Scripts

Place SQL or Shell scripts in /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d to execute them during initialization:

1. Create a files directory

2. Add your scripts:

• .sql files will be executed by psql

• .sh files will be sourced in the shell

• Rebuild the Docker image

Example structure:

/files
  /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d
    init.sql
    setup.sh

Persistent Data

Data is stored in the Docker volume mounted at /var/lib/postgresql/data. To persist data between container restarts:

# Create a named volume
docker volume create postgres_data

# Use the volume in your container
docker run ... -v postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data ...

Security Considerations

1. Always set POSTGRES_PASSWORD in production environments

2. The default configuration allows remote connections (host all all 0.0.0.0/0)

3. For production use:

• Consider customizing pg_hba.conf

• Use proper TLS certificates

• Restrict network access

Exposing the Service

The container exposes PostgreSQL on port 5432. Map to host port using:

-p [HOST_PORT]:5432

Build the Docker Image

docker build -t my-postgres .