PostgreSQL is an advanced Object-Relational database management system (DBMS) that supports almost all SQL constructs (including transactions, subselects and user-defined types and functions). The postgresql package includes the client programs and libraries that you'll need to access a PostgreSQL DBMS server. These PostgreSQL client programs are programs that directly manipulate the internal structure of PostgreSQL databases on a PostgreSQL server. These client programs can be located on the same machine with the PostgreSQL server, or may be on a remote machine which accesses a PostgreSQL server over a network connection. This package contains the client libraries for C and C++, as well as command-line utilities for managing PostgreSQL databases on a PostgreSQL server. If you want to manipulate a PostgreSQL database on a remote PostgreSQL server, you need this package. You also need to install this package if you're installing the postgresql17-server package.