Running a separate PostgreSQL instance alongside Cloudron

[vadim]

Hi Cloudron team,

I’m considering setting up a separate PostgreSQL database on my Ubuntu server where Cloudron is already running. The main reason for this is to use it for a RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) system and a vector database.

Since Cloudron already runs its own PostgreSQL instance inside Docker, I want to avoid any conflicts. My plan is:

Installing a native PostgreSQL instance directly on the root system (outside of Docker).
Using a different port (e.g., 5433 instead of 5432) to prevent interference with Cloudron’s services.
Ensuring that this separate instance does not impact Cloudron’s operations.

My Questions:
Does Cloudron have any known conflicts with additional software running outside of Docker?
Is there any risk in running a separate PostgreSQL instance on a different port?
Would you advise against this approach? If so, why?
Are there any recommended best practices for running external software alongside Cloudron?
I’d love to hear your thoughts before proceeding. Thanks in advance for any insights!

[andreasdueren]

I'ts generally not adviced to run things next to cloudron. I was exploring similar strategies but ended up just packaging my needs.

[robi]

You may want to check out https://forum.cloudron.io/post/103359, which may be good to package for exactly such purposes.

There may not be a reason to run another instance, as installing another existing app that uses PG just to use its PG is also an option. Surrogate type of thing, yet managed as an app.

The former is much more scalable.

[vadim]

Is there any way to use pgvector via any cloudron app?

[joseph]

Apps like chatwoot use it already . Is that your question though?

[vadim]

I mean to get access to vector db via n8n, for example

[nebulon]

Cloudron does not have separate database instances outside of those created for apps. Maybe we will offer distinct database in the future but this is not currently there. It is not quite clear what your use-case is, but if you want to connect do a db instance from another app, you can checkout https://docs.cloudron.io/guides/connect-postgresql/

Use with great caution though as it could break the app relying on that database.

[robi]

@vadim said in Running a separate PostgreSQL instance alongside Cloudron:

Is there any way to use pgvector via any cloudron app?

The answer is a simple search for "pgvector" in the forum.

It yields: https://forum.cloudron.io/topic/13139/consider-adding-support-for-pgvector-pgvectorscale-for-pgsql