The Source Code Repository {#sourcerepo}
==========================

The PostgreSQL source code is stored and managed using the Git version
control system. A public mirror of the master repository is available;
it is updated within a minute of any change to the master repository.

Our wiki, [](https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Working_with_Git), has
some discussion on working with Git.

Note that building PostgreSQL from the source repository requires
reasonably up-to-date versions of bison, flex, and Perl. These tools are
not needed to build from a distribution tarball, because the files that
these tools are used to build are included in the tarball. Other tool
requirements are the same as shown in [???](#install-requirements).

Getting the Source via Git {#git}
==========================

With Git you will make a copy of the entire code repository on your
local machine, so you will have access to all history and branches
offline. This is the fastest and most flexible way to develop or test
patches.

You will need an installed version of Git, which you can get from
[](https://git-scm.com). Many systems already have a recent version of
Git installed by default, or available in their package distribution
system.

To begin using the Git repository, make a clone of the official mirror:

    git clone https://git.postgresql.org/git/postgresql.git

This will copy the full repository to your local machine, so it may take
a while to complete, especially if you have a slow Internet connection.
The files will be placed in a new subdirectory `postgresql` of your
current directory.

The Git mirror can also be reached via the Git protocol. Just change the
URL prefix to `git`, as in:

    git clone git://git.postgresql.org/git/postgresql.git

Whenever you want to get the latest updates in the system, `cd` into the
repository, and run:

    git fetch

Git can do a lot more things than just fetch the source. For more
information, consult the Git man pages, or see the website at
[](https://git-scm.com).
