DBeaver is one of the few database management tools that works equally well with PostgreSQL on a production server and SQLite in a local project. It supports over a hundred connection types, requires no license in the Community edition, and is available for Ubuntu in several ways.
Method 1: Official DBeaver Repository (Recommended)
The most reliable approach — add the official DBeaver repository. Updates arrive with system packages via apt.
Add the GPG key and repository:
wget -O - https://dbeaver.io/debs/dbeaver.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/dbeaver.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/dbeaver.gpg] https://dbeaver.io/debs/dbeaver-ce /" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dbeaver.list
Update and install:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install dbeaver-ce
This is preferable to PPA — the official repository is maintained directly by the DBeaver team, and the GPG key is verified on every update.
Method 2: via PPA
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:serge-rider/dbeaver-ce
sudo apt update
sudo apt install dbeaver-ce
PPA updates slightly slower than the official repository — new versions arrive with a short delay.
Method 3: Snap
The snap version installs without adding any repository:
sudo snap install dbeaver-ce
Downside of snap — the application runs in an isolated container. This causes problems connecting to local databases via Unix socket (for example PostgreSQL at /var/run/postgresql). If you plan to connect to local PostgreSQL via socket — use the deb package instead.
Method 4: Download .deb Manually
For installing a specific version or when repository access is unavailable:
wget https://dbeaver.io/files/dbeaver-ce_latest_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i dbeaver-ce_latest_amd64.deb
If dpkg reports missing dependencies:
sudo apt install -f
Enterprise Edition
DBeaver Enterprise adds NoSQL database support (MongoDB, Redis, Cassandra), cloud connections (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure), and advanced administration tools. It is distributed as a .deb file from the official website.
Community Edition covers most use cases — MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, Oracle, MSSQL. Enterprise is needed when working with MongoDB, Redis, or cloud data sources.
sudo dpkg -i dbeaver-ent_<version>_amd64.deb
First Launch and Database Connection
Launch from the application menu or terminal:
dbeaver
On first launch DBeaver will prompt to create a connection:
1. Click "New Database Connection" (or Ctrl+Shift+N).
2. Select the database type from the list — PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, etc.
3. Fill in connection parameters: Host (localhost for local, IP or domain for remote), Port (PostgreSQL — 5432, MySQL — 3306), Database name, Username and Password.
4. Click "Test Connection" — DBeaver will verify the connection and offer to download the driver if not yet installed. Drivers are downloaded automatically from the Maven repository.
5. Click "Finish".
Connecting to PostgreSQL via Unix Socket
If PostgreSQL is installed locally and listens on a socket — enter the socket path in the Host field:
/var/run/postgresql
Leave Port empty or set to 5432. Username should be the Ubuntu system user running DBeaver. This only works with the deb package, not snap.
Updating
Via repository or PPA — together with system updates:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade dbeaver-ce
Via snap:
sudo snap refresh dbeaver-ce
Quick Reference
| Method | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Official repository | Recommended — latest versions, GPG-signed |
| PPA | Alternative if you prefer PPA |
| Snap | Fast, but no Unix socket support |
| Manual .deb | Specific version or offline install |
| Enterprise .deb | NoSQL, Redis, MongoDB, cloud connections |
