---
sidebar_position: 5
title: Interacting with a database server
description: Interacting with databases from the Podman Desktop application
keywords: [podman desktop, podman, databases]
tags: [podman-desktop, interacting-with-databases]
---

# Interacting with a database server

This tutorial covers the following end-to-end tasks required to interact with a database server from within the Podman Desktop UI:

- Pulling a database server image
- Creating a database server instance
- Accessing the instance from terminal

For creating a database instance, you can use one of the following options:

- [Build a database server image using a container or docker file](/docs/containers/images/building-an-image)
- [Import a database server image from your local machine](/tutorial/managing-your-application-resources#managing-images) using the **Import** button on the _Images_ component page
- Pull a database server image from a registry (covered in this tutorial)

This tutorial focuses on creating a PostgreSQL server instance by pulling the `quay.io/fedora/postgresql-16` image from the _quay.io_ registry.

## Before you begin

Make sure you have:

- [Installed Podman Desktop](/docs/installation).
- [A running Podman machine](/docs/podman/creating-a-podman-machine).
- A developer role.

## Pulling a PostgreSQL server image

1. Click **Images** in the left navigation pane.
1. Click the **Pull** button.
   ![pulling an image](img/pull-button.png)
1. Enter the name of the image to pull from the registry.
1. Click **Pull image**. A download complete notification opens.
   ![clicking the pull button](img/click-pull-image.png)
1. Click **Done**.
   ![image pulled successfully](img/image-successfully-pulled.png)
1. View the newly created `quay.io/fedora/postgresql-16` image on the same page.
   ![image added on the page](img/new-image-added.png)

## Creating a PostgreSQL server instance

1. Click **Images** in the left navigation pane.
1. Click the **Run Image** icon corresponding to the PostgreSQL server image you want to run.
   ![running an image](img/run-image-icon.png)
1. Configure the basic details, such as container name, port mapping, and environment variables for the PostgreSQL server instance.
1. Click **Start Container**.
   ![starting a container](img/starting-a-postgresql-container.png)
1. View the successful operation notification in the _Tty_ tab of the _Container Details_ page.
   ![sql server started](img/postgresql-server-started.png)

   :::note

   You can also check the _Logs_ tab for the same notification.

   :::

1. Click the **close** icon on the right hand side of the page.
1. Click **Containers** in the left navigation pane.
1. View the newly created PostgreSQL server container on the page.
   ![database container created](img/database-container-created.png)

## Accessing the instance from terminal

1. Click **Containers** in the left navigation pane.
1. Click the created `postgresql-database` container. The _Container Details_ page opens.
   ![database container](img/database-container-created.png)

1. Select the **Terminal** tab.
1. Run the `psql` command to connect to the database server. The prompt changes to `postgres=#`.
   ![connect to the PostgreSQL server instance](img/connect-to-postgresql.png)
1. Interact with the database server by running any PostgreSQL commands, such as `\list`:
   ![interact with the database](img/interacted-with-database.png)

:::note

To access this database server instance from inside a running application container, use the `podman exec -it postgresql-database /bin/bash` command.

:::