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# Installing PostgreSQL and creating database and user

Installing [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/) on Debian is very easy:

```
apt install postgresql python3-psycopg

sudo -u postgres bash

createuser --pwprompt synapse
createdb --encoding=UTF8 --locale=C --template=template0 --owner=synapse synapse

```

After this, PostgreSQL is installed, the database `synapse` exists and so does
the database user `synapse`. Make sure you choose a strong password.


# Configuring access

After a clean installation, PostgreSQL will listen on localhost, both IPv4 and
IPv6 (if available). In many cases, this is exactly what you want.

## Network

PostgreSQL will listen on localhost, this is configured in
`/etc/postgresql/<version>/main/postgresql.conf`:

```
listen_addresses = 'localhost'
```

This line is usually commented out, but as it is the default, it's really
there.


## UNIX socket

If you want PostgreSQL to listen only to a local UNIX socket (more efficient
than network and -depending on the configuration of the rest of you system-
easier to protect), make the aforementioned option explicitly empty and
uncomment it:

```
listen_addresses = ''
```

Check these options to make sure the socket is placed in the right spot and
given the correct permissions:

```
unix_socket_directories = '/var/run/postgresql'
#unix_socket_group = ''
#unix_socket_permissions = 0777
```


## Permissions

Add permission for the user to connect to the database from localhost (if
PostgreSQL listens on localhost), or the socket (if you use that). This is
configured in `/etc/postgresql/<version>/main/pg_hba.conf`:

```
local    synapse     synapse     password                     # for use with UNIX sockets
host     synapse     synapse     localhost       md5          # for use with localhost network
```

Make sure you add these lines under the one that gives access to the postgres
superuser, the first line.