Get started with modular databases in minutes. Install prerequisites and deploy your first module.

Quickstart: Getting Up and Running

Set up Node.js, PostgreSQL, and pgpm. Everything you need to get started with modular database development.

Prerequisites

Experience the power of modular databases by installing a pre-built module and deploying it to PostgreSQL—no SQL writing required.

Spinning Up a Modular Database in 2 Minutes

Learn to organize PostgreSQL projects with pgpm workspaces and reusable database modules.

Modular PostgreSQL Development with Database Packages

Understand how pgpm workspaces bring npm-style modularity to PostgreSQL development.

pgpm Workspaces: A New Way to Organize PostgreSQL Projects

Set up your first pgpm workspace with proper configuration and structure.

Initializing a Workspace for Modular PostgreSQL Development

Build your first database module with deploy, revert, and verify scripts.

Creating Your First PostgreSQL Database Module

Write and run tests for your database module with watch mode for rapid feedback.

Testing Your Database Module

Master module dependencies, cross-module references, and automatic dependency resolution.

Managing Database Package Dependencies in a Workspace

Master the workflow for adding, organizing, and managing database changes with pgpm.

Authoring Database Changes

Learn the fundamental workflow for adding database changes using the pgpm add command and the three-file pattern for safe, reversible migrations.

Adding Your First Database Change

Structure migrations using nested paths for maintainable schemas.

Change Naming Conventions

Understand the plan file format and how pgpm generates deployment plans from SQL dependencies.

Plan Files and Deployment Plans

Master end-to-end PostgreSQL testing with ephemeral databases, RLS testing, and CI/CD automation.

End-to-End PostgreSQL Testing with TypeScript

Create ephemeral PostgreSQL databases for testing with pgsql-test. Fast, isolated, and automatically cleaned up.

Spinning Up Temporary Testing Databases for Postgres

Test RLS policies by simulating different users and roles. Verify that your security policies actually work as intended.

How to Test Row-Level Security (RLS) in PostgreSQL

Test complex multi-user scenarios by switching between users within tests. Master the savepoint pattern to handle exceptions and aborted transactions when testing operations that should fail.

Advanced RLS Testing Scenarios - Simulating Many Users and Roles

Learn how to seed test databases with realistic data using loadJson, loadSql, and loadCsv methods for comprehensive testing scenarios.

Seeding PostgreSQL Test Databases

TypeScript-native testing for Supabase with modern workflows.

Supabase Testing

Introducing Supabase Test Suite: TypeScript-native testing for Supabase with isolated databases, RLS testing, and instant feedback loops.

Supabase Testing for the Modern Developer

Get started with supabase-test: install dependencies, configure local Supabase, and write your first isolated database test with automatic rollbacks.

Setting Up Local Supabase Database Testing

Create your first Supabase test with supabase-test's getConnections(), understand test isolation, and verify your setup with simple database queries.

Writing Your First Supabase Test in TypeScript

Test Supabase RLS policies by simulating authenticated users and anonymous access. Verify your security policies work as intended with supabase-test.

Testing Row-Level Security Policies in Supabase

Learn how to seed Supabase test databases with auth.users, realistic data using loadJson, loadSql, and loadCsv methods for comprehensive testing.

Seeding Supabase Test Databases

Set up GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline to automatically test your Supabase database with every commit. Learn how to configure workflows, start Supabase, and run tests.

Running Supabase Tests in GitHub Actions

Automate Supabase testing in GitHub Actions: provision local Supabase stack, run tests in CI, and optimize for fast feedback loops.

Supabase Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions for pgpm, PostgreSQL, and testing.

Troubleshooting

Quick fixes for common pgpm, PostgreSQL, and testing issues.

Common Issues and Solutions


This guide covers common issues you might encounter while using pgpm and how to fix them quickly.

## Table of Contents

- [PostgreSQL Issues](#postgresql-issues)
  - [Docker not running](#docker-not-running)
  - [PostgreSQL not accepting connections](#postgresql-not-accepting-connections)
- [Testing Issues](#testing-issues)
  - [Tests fail to connect to database](#tests-fail-to-connect-to-database)
  - [Current transaction is aborted in tests](#current-transaction-is-aborted-in-tests)
- [Environment Variable Issues](#environment-variable-issues)
  - [Environment variables not set](#environment-variables-not-set)

## PostgreSQL Issues

### Docker not running

**Symptom:**

```text
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon
```

**Solution:** 

Start Docker Desktop and ensure it's running before executing `pgpm docker start`.

### PostgreSQL not accepting connections

**Symptom:**

```text
psql: error: connection to server at "localhost" (127.0.0.1), port 5432 failed
```

**Solution:**

```bash
# Check if PostgreSQL is running
pgpm docker start

# Load environment variables
eval "$(pgpm env)"

# Verify connection
psql -c "SELECT version();"
```

## Testing Issues

### Tests fail to connect to database

**Symptom:** Tests time out or fail with connection errors

**Solution:** Ensure PostgreSQL is running and users are bootstrapped:
```bash
pgpm docker start
eval "$(pgpm env)"
pgpm admin-users bootstrap --yes
```

### Current transaction is aborted in tests

**Symptom:**

When testing operations that should fail (RLS violations, permission errors, constraint violations), subsequent queries on the same connection fail with:

```text
current transaction is aborted, commands ignored until end of transaction block
```

**The Problem:**

In PostgreSQL, **any error inside a transaction** marks the **entire transaction as aborted**. After that, every further query on that connection fails until you explicitly end the transaction.

This is particularly painful in tests where you intentionally assert failures (e.g., `expect(...).rejects.toThrow(...)`) and then want to continue using the same `db` connection.

**Solution: Use Savepoints**

Wrap each "expected-to-fail" operation in a **savepoint**, and roll back to that savepoint after the failure. This clears the error state while keeping the surrounding transaction open.

**Pattern:**

```typescript
const point = 'some_savepoint';
await db.savepoint(point);

await expect(
  db.query(/* statement that should fail */)
).rejects.toThrow(/permission denied/);

await db.rollback(point); // ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT
```

**Example: Anonymous users cannot modify data**

```typescript
it('anonymous users cannot modify any data', async () => {
  db.setContext({ role: 'anonymous' });

  const insertPoint = 'anonymous_insert';
  await db.savepoint(insertPoint);
  await expect(
    db.query(`
      INSERT INTO pets.pets (name, species, owner_id)
      VALUES ('Anonymous Pet', 'hamster', $1)
    `, [alice])
  ).rejects.toThrow(/permission denied/);
  await db.rollback(insertPoint);

  const updatePoint = 'anonymous_update';
  await db.savepoint(updatePoint);
  await expect(
    db.query(`UPDATE pets.pets SET name = 'Hacked'`)
  ).rejects.toThrow(/permission denied/);
  await db.rollback(updatePoint);

  const deletePoint = 'anonymous_delete';
  await db.savepoint(deletePoint);
  await expect(
    db.query(`DELETE FROM pets.pets`)
  ).rejects.toThrow(/permission denied/);
  await db.rollback(deletePoint);
});
```

By using **savepoints + rollback**, you can:

- Assert failures safely
- Keep using the same `db` transaction
- Avoid `current transaction is aborted` errors entirely

For more details, see [Advanced: Handling Exceptions and Aborted Transactions](/learn/e2e-postgres-testing/advanced-rls-testing-scenarios#advanced-handling-exceptions-and-aborted-transactions).

## Environment Variable Issues

### Environment variables not set

**Symptom:** Commands fail with "PGHOST not set" or similar

**Solution:** Load pgpm environment:
```bash
eval "$(pgpm env)"
```

To make permanent, add to your shell config:
```bash
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc
eval "$(pgpm env)"
```