Master DBeaver: Install, Connect, and Generate ER Diagrams for Any Database

Overview

DBeaver is a free, open‑source, Java‑based universal database management and development tool released under the Apache Software License. It runs on Windows, Linux and macOS, built on the Eclipse platform and supports plugins. Core features include ER diagrams, data import/export, database comparison and mock data generation.

Through JDBC it can connect to most relational databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase, MS Access, Teradata, Firebird, Derby, etc.). The commercial edition also supports NoSQL and big‑data platforms such as MongoDB, InfluxDB, Apache Cassandra, Redis and Apache Hive.

Download and Installation

The Community edition is available as installer or zip archive for each OS from the official website or the GitHub releases. A Java Runtime Environment (JRE) is required. After extracting/ installing, launch dbeaver.exe (Windows) or the appropriate launcher on Linux/macOS to open the main UI.

Creating a Database Connection

Choose Database → New Connection to open the connection wizard. Example for PostgreSQL:

Select the PostgreSQL icon and click Next .

Enter host, port, database name, user and password.

Optional: configure SSH tunnel, SSL or proxy in Advanced Settings .

Click Test Connection ; DBeaver will automatically download the required JDBC driver if not present.

For drivers that require manual download (e.g., Oracle, DB2), open Database → Driver Manager , edit the driver entry, and add the driver JAR file (e.g., ojdbc8.jar) via Add File .

Generating ER Diagrams

In the Database Navigator, open the “Projects” view, locate the “ER Diagrams” node, right‑click and select “Create new ER Diagram”. Provide a diagram name, choose the connection and the database objects to include, then finish. The diagram can be rearranged, printed or exported as an image.

References

Official website: https://dbeaver.io

GitHub repository: https://github.com/dbeaver/dbeaver

User guide (wiki): https://github.com/dbeaver/dbeaver/wiki