pgsql-jellyfin/docs/HOW_TO_SWITCH_DATABASE.md

🎯 How to Switch Database Connections

Quick Answer

Edit db-config.ps1 and change this line:

$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_testsdata"  # ← Change this

To:

$DB_NAME = "your_database_name"  # ← Your database

Then reload:

. .\db-config.ps1

---

Step-by-Step Guide

Method 1: Edit Configuration File (Recommended)

Step 1: Open db-config.ps1

code db-config.ps1  # Or notepad db-config.ps1

Step 2: Change the database name

# Line 5:
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin"              # ← Original
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_testsdata"    # ← Testing database
$DB_NAME = "your_database"         # ← Your choice

Step 3: Save and reload

. .\db-config.ps1

Step 4: Verify

Write-Host "Connected to: $DB_NAME"

---

Method 2: Temporary Override (For One Command)

Override just for one command without changing the config:

# Run diagnostics against a different database
$DB_NAME = "other_database"
& "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18\bin\psql.exe" -U jellyfin -d $DB_NAME -f sql\diagnostics.sql

---

Method 3: Use the Quick Runner

Step 1: Run the menu

.\db-quick.ps1

Step 2: Select option 6 (Change database)

Step 3: Follow the instructions shown

---

What Gets Updated

When you change db-config.ps1, these scripts will use the new database:

Script	What It Does
db-quick.ps1	Interactive menu for common tasks
Add-All-Indexes.bat	Add performance indexes
Any script that uses . .\db-config.ps1	Uses the configured database

---

Common Database Names

Based on your setup:

# Production
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin"

# Testing
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_testsdata"

# Development
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_dev"

# Backup
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_backup"

---

Switching Between Multiple Databases

Option A: Multiple Config Files

Create separate config files:

db-config-prod.ps1

$DB_NAME = "jellyfin"
# ... rest of config

db-config-test.ps1

$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_testsdata"
# ... rest of config

Usage:

# Use production
. .\db-config-prod.ps1

# Use testing
. .\db-config-test.ps1

Option B: Profile Selection

Add to db-config.ps1:

# At the top of db-config.ps1
param(
    [ValidateSet("prod", "test", "dev")]
    [string]$Profile = "test"
)

switch ($Profile) {
    "prod" { $DB_NAME = "jellyfin" }
    "test" { $DB_NAME = "jellyfin_testsdata" }
    "dev"  { $DB_NAME = "jellyfin_dev" }
}

Usage:

# Use production
. .\db-config.ps1 -Profile prod

# Use testing
. .\db-config.ps1 -Profile test

---

Connection String for .NET/Jellyfin

If you need to update Jellyfin's connection string:

Location: config/system.xml or config/network.xml

<PostgresConnectionString>
  Host=localhost;
  Port=5432;
  Database=jellyfin_testsdata;  <!-- Change this -->
  Username=jellyfin;
  Password=your_password
</PostgresConnectionString>

Or environment variable:

$env:ConnectionStrings__DefaultConnection = "Host=localhost;Port=5432;Database=jellyfin_testsdata;Username=jellyfin;Password=..."

---

Verify Connection

Check which database you're connected to:

# Load config
. .\db-config.ps1

# Test connection
& "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18\bin\psql.exe" -U $DB_USER -d $DB_NAME -c "SELECT current_database();"

Expected output:

 current_database
------------------
 jellyfin_testsdata
(1 row)

---

Quick Examples

Run diagnostics against test database

# Edit db-config.ps1 to use jellyfin_testsdata
. .\db-config.ps1
.\db-quick.ps1  # Select option 1

Check indexes on production database

# Edit db-config.ps1 to use jellyfin
. .\db-config.ps1
.\db-quick.ps1  # Select option 2

Apply indexes to specific database

# Edit db-config.ps1
$DB_NAME = "my_database"

# Run
.\Add-All-Indexes.bat

---

Troubleshooting

"database does not exist"

# List available databases
& "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18\bin\psql.exe" -U jellyfin -l

# Create database if needed
& "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18\bin\psql.exe" -U jellyfin -d postgres -c "CREATE DATABASE jellyfin_testsdata;"

"password authentication failed"

Update the username in db-config.ps1:

$DB_USER = "your_username"

Changes not taking effect

Reload the configuration:

. .\db-config.ps1

---

Summary

To change database:

1. Edit db-config.ps1
2. Change $DB_NAME = "your_database"
3. Save
4. Run . .\db-config.ps1
5. Done! ✅

All scripts will now use the new database! 🎉

---

Quick Reference Card

# Switch to testing database
# 1. Edit db-config.ps1:
$DB_NAME = "jellyfin_testsdata"

# 2. Reload:
. .\db-config.ps1

# 3. Verify:
Write-Host $DB_NAME

# 4. Use:
.\db-quick.ps1

That's it! 🚀