If you often work with databases, you should have a universal tool that will allow you to do it efficiently. You can use DataGrip but it is not free. If you want to use a free tool, you can choose DBeaver. It has an open-source community version. This tool supports all popular database engines, for example, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite and more.
In this article we will explain how to install DBeaver in Ubuntu 22.04, how to add database connection and manage database tables.
Table of Contents
Installing DBeaver in Ubuntu 22.04
You can install DBeaver in several ways. You can download the DEB package from the official site, or use Ubuntu Software, snap or flatpack package managers.
1. Ubuntu Software
You can install the community version of DBeaver using Ubuntu Software. The application is provided as a snap package. The package has been created by the application developers and gets updates regularly.
Open the Ubuntu Software and click on the search button, then type DataGrip in the search field:
Select datagrip-ce from the list and press the Install button on the application page:
When the installation process finishes you can run the application from the main menu.
2. Snap Package Manager
If you don’t want to use a graphical interface, you can install the application from the command line. First, let’s find out the name of the package:
snap search dbeaver
As you can see, the package has the name dbeaver-ce. Now you can install it:
snap install dbeaver-ce
After this, you can run the application from the main menu.
3. Official site
Certainly, the two methods described above are better because they allow you to automatically update the application when a new version appears. But also, you can install DBeaver in Ubuntu 22.04 from the official site. This way you will not have updates and you will have to reinstall the program to get a new version. There are neither DEB and RPM packages, ror instructions on how to install the application using snap or flatpack. Open the download page and find the Linux DEB installer:
When the file is downloaded, you can find it in the ~/Downloads folder. Now, you can install it using apt:
sudo apt install ~/Downloads/dbeaver-ce_latest_amd64.deb
You can use the dpkg command instead of apt, but apt can resolve all dependencies automatically.
How to Use DBeaver
The main application window looks quite similar to DataGrip. There are a database navigator in the left side with a list of database connections and a work area on the right side.
During the first start DBeaver will offer to create a test database. You can choose Yes if you want to explore the application functionality.
1. Add a Connection
If you want to add a database connection, click on the New Database Connection icon:
Alternatively you can open File -> New -> DBeaver -> Database connection:
After this, choose your database engine. In this example, I will use PostgreSQL. Next, click Next button:
If you use the PostgreSQL engine for the first time, DBeaver will have to download the PostgreSQL JDBC driver. It can take a few minutes. After this, you should fill database settings. Specify Host, Database, Username and Password:
After this click the Finish button. A new connection will appear in Databases Navigator. You can expand this connection and show available databases.
2. Create a Database
Open the contextual menu for databases entry and click on Create New Database:
Then, specify the database name and press OK:
Now your database will appear in the list:
4. Manage Data
Let’s see, how to manage database data using the example of DBeaver sample database. You can click on the table name to view information about it. In the first tab, you will find the table structure:
If you want to see data, switch to the Data tab:
You can modify all data by double-clicking the data cell. All modified cells will be highlighted in orange:
Once you are done, save all changes using the Save button:
Wrapping Up
In this article we have explained how to install DBeaver in Ubuntu 22.04 and how to use this tool when working with databases. DBeaver is more convenient than PhpMyAdmin or PGAdmin, because it allows you to both perform SQL queries and manage your data in real time, the application is not limited by browser restrictions and it can handle all your databases and servers in one place.
