postgres

PostgreSQL Skill

Access PostgreSQL databases using the psql CLI client running inside a Docker container. Execute queries, manage databases, run scripts, export/import data, and perform database operations without installing PostgreSQL locally.

Overview

This skill provides the psql command-line client through a containerized runtime. Connect to any PostgreSQL database (local or remote), execute SQL commands, run migration scripts, and manage your databases - all while keeping your host system clean.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Connect to PostgreSQL databases without local installation
• Execute SQL queries and commands
• Run database migration scripts
• Export and import data (CSV, SQL dumps)
• List databases, tables, and schemas
• Inspect table structures and relationships
• Execute administrative tasks
• Test database connections
• Run ad-hoc queries during development

Prerequisites

Docker

The PostgreSQL client runs inside a Docker container:

# macOS (using Homebrew)
brew install --cask docker

# Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install docker.io
sudo systemctl start docker

PostgreSQL Server

You need access to a PostgreSQL server:

• Local PostgreSQL instance
• Remote database server
• Cloud-hosted PostgreSQL (AWS RDS, Google Cloud SQL, Azure, etc.)
• Docker PostgreSQL container

Configuration

Add to your .skill-engine.toml:

[skills.postgres]
source = "docker:postgres:16-alpine"
runtime = "docker"
description = "PostgreSQL CLI client"

[skills.postgres.docker]
image = "postgres:16-alpine"
entrypoint = "psql"
environment = ["PGPASSWORD=${PGPASSWORD:-}"]
network = "bridge"
memory = "256m"
rm = true

Configuration Explained

• image: postgres:16-alpine - PostgreSQL 16.x Alpine image (~80MB)
• entrypoint: psql - PostgreSQL interactive terminal
• environment: Sets PGPASSWORD from host environment
• network: bridge - Allows connections to databases (local and remote)
• memory: 256m - Limits container to 256MB RAM
• rm: true - Automatically removes container after execution