Installation¶

This guide explains how to install pGenie on your system.

Prerequisites¶

Docker¶

pGenie requires Docker to be installed and running. During code generation, it starts a temporary PostgreSQL container to analyze your SQL. Without Docker, pGenie cannot function.

macOS / Windows: Install Docker Desktop.
Linux: Install the Docker Engine for your distribution.

After installation, verify Docker is running:

docker info

Installing from Source¶

pGenie is written in Haskell and built with Cabal.

Prerequisites¶

GHC and Cabal - Install the Haskell toolchain via GHCup:
```
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://get-ghcup.haskell.org | sh
```
Follow the prompts to install GHC and Cabal.

Steps¶

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/pgenie-io/pgenie.git
cd pgenie

Install the pgn executable:
```
cabal install
```
Cabal will compile pGenie and install the pgn binary into ~/.cabal/bin/.
Ensure ~/.cabal/bin is on your PATH. Add the following to your shell profile (.bashrc, .zshrc, etc.):
```
export PATH="$HOME/.cabal/bin:$PATH"
```
Verify the installation:
```
pgn --help
```

Platform Notes¶

Windows¶

Ensure Docker Desktop is installed and the Docker daemon is running before invoking pgn.
The ~/.cabal/bin directory is typically %APPDATA%\cabal\bin; add it to your PATH via the System Properties dialog or your PowerShell profile.

macOS¶

Docker Desktop for macOS must be running (the Docker icon should appear in the menu bar).
GHCup works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

Linux¶

Docker must be running as a daemon (systemctl start docker or sudo service docker start).
Your user should be in the docker group to avoid requiring sudo:
```
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
newgrp docker
```

First Run¶

The very first time you run pgn generate, pGenie performs initial setup that can take 2–3 minutes:

PostgreSQL Docker image download - pGenie pulls the PostgreSQL image it needs. This is a one-time download.
Code generator caching - Dhall generator programs are downloaded from their URLs and their bytecode is cached locally.

You may notice pGenie appears to pause at the "Loading" stage during this first run. This is normal. Subsequent runs complete in a few seconds.