mise backend plugin for installing PostgreSQL from pre-built binaries. Fast cross-platform installs with SHA256 verification and automatic PGDATA setup -- no compiler toolchain needed. Use a source-build plugin like mise-postgres if you need custom ./configure options.

# Install the backend plugin
mise plugin install postgres-binary https://github.com/kyleking/mise-postgres-binary

# Use in your project
mise use postgres-binary:[email protected]

# PostgreSQL is now available
postgres --version
psql --version

# Install a specific PostgreSQL version
mise install postgres-binary:[email protected]

# Use in current directory
cd my-project
mise use postgres-binary:[email protected]

# Start PostgreSQL
mise exec -- pg_ctl start -D $PGDATA

The plugin automatically sets up:

• PGDATA: PostgreSQL data directory (auto-initialized with initdb)
• PATH: Includes PostgreSQL bin directory
• LD_LIBRARY_PATH: PostgreSQL lib directory (Linux)
• DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH: PostgreSQL lib directory (macOS)
• PGHOME: PostgreSQL installation directory

The plugin automatically runs initdb on first installation, creating a database cluster in $PGDATA.

mise caches available version lists (~1 hour default TTL). The plugin adds an ETag-based HTTP cache layer (12-hour TTL) at XDG-compliant paths to further reduce GitHub API calls.

• Override TTL: export MISE_POSTGRES_BINARY_CACHE_TTL=3600 (seconds; 0 disables)
• Clear mise cache: mise cache clear

Binaries are sourced from theseus-rs/postgresql-binaries. See their releases for the latest supported versions and platforms.

SHA256 checksum verification requires platform-specific tools:

Unix/Linux/macOS:

• sha256sum (GNU coreutils) OR shasum (macOS/BSD)
• awk (standard on all systems)

Windows:

• Recommended: PowerShell (included in all modern Windows versions)
  • Supports full checksum verification via Get-FileHash cmdlet
• Alternative: Git Bash, MSYS2, or other Unix-like shells
  • File operations will use Unix commands
  • Checksum verification automatically skipped (PowerShell required for verification)
  • May have better compatibility in CI/CD environments

Skip Checksum Validation (Not Recommended):

On Unix systems, if hash tools are unavailable, you can skip checksum verification:

export MISE_POSTGRES_BINARY_SKIP_CHECKSUM=1

WARNING: Skipping checksum validation is insecure and not recommended. Use only in trusted environments where hash tools cannot be installed.

Enable detailed diagnostic output:

# Show all diagnostic information
MISE_DEBUG=1 mise install postgres-binary:[email protected]

# Save output for bug reports
MISE_DEBUG=1 mise install postgres-binary:[email protected] 2>&1 | tee debug.log

If you see "Unsupported platform" error, check:

1. Your OS and architecture: uname -s and uname -m
2. Available platforms in theseus-rs releases
3. Consider using the source-based mise-postgres plugin

This usually indicates a corrupted download. Try:

1. Remove the installation: mise uninstall postgres-binary:postgres@<version>
2. Clear mise cache: rm -rf ~/.local/share/mise/downloads/postgres-binary*
3. Reinstall: mise install postgres-binary:postgres@<version>

If hash tools are unavailable in your environment, you can skip validation (insecure):

export MISE_POSTGRES_BINARY_SKIP_CHECKSUM=1
mise install postgres-binary:postgres@<version>

If you see "PGDATA directory already exists", the database cluster is already initialized. This is normal and safe.

Check logs and port availability:

cat /tmp/postgres.log
lsof -i :5432
pg_ctl start -D "$PGDATA" -o "-p 5433" -l /tmp/postgres.log # Use alternate port

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and guidelines.

• Binaries provided by theseus-rs/postgresql-binaries
• Plugin template from mise-backend-plugin-template
• Inspired by mise-postgres (source-based)