# Configuring the MariaDB Jupyter Kernel ## Config File Location The kernel can be configured via a `JSON` file called `mariadb_config.json`. The kernel will look for this config file in one of these two locations: 1. If the [JUPYTER\_CONFIG\_DIR](https://jupyter.readthedocs.io/en/latest/use/jupyter-directories.html#envvar-JUPYTER_CONFIG_DIR) environment variable is defined (non-empty),[mariadb\_kernel](https://github.com/MariaDB/mariadb_kernel) will try to read `$JUPYTER_CONFIG_DIR/mariadb_config.json` 2. If the environment variable is empty, the kernel will try to read `$HOME/.jupyter/mariadb_config.json` ## Config Example Here’s an example file containing some of the available options that you can pass to the kernel: ```json cat ~/.jupyter/mariadb_config.json { "user": "root", "host": "localhost", "port": "3306", "password": "securepassword", "start_server": "True", "client_bin": "/usr/bin/mariadb", "server_bin": "/usr/bin/mariadbd" } ``` By default the kernel starts a MariaDB server running at `localhost`, on port `3306` and connects to this instance using the user `root` with `no password`. The kernel also assumes that MariaDB Server is installed and its binaries are in `PATH`.\ You can change any of these options to fit your use-case. This also means you can run a notebook locally with a [MariaDB kernel](https://github.com/MariaDB/mariadb_kernel), and make the kernel connect to a server running in the cloud for instance. The kernel, using the default configuration, looks for the `mysql` and `mysqld` binaries in your `PATH`. You can point (for example if you have a local MariaDB built from sources) the kernel to an exact location for these two binaries using the `client_bin` and `server_bin` options. The `start_server` option tells the kernel to start a MariaDB Server instance for you, when the kernel is loaded, if it detects no running server given the configurations passed. ## The Full List of JSON Options If you suspect the documentation might not be up to date, you can check the complete list of available options at this [link](https://github.com/MariaDB/mariadb_kernel/blob/master/mariadb_kernel/client_config.py#L14). | Option | Default | Explanation | | ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | user | “root” | Kernel passes `--user=root` to the MariaDB client | | host | “localhost” | Kernel passes `--host=localhost` to the MariaDB client | | socket | "/tmp/mariadb\_kernel/mysqld.sock" | If socket authentication is enabled in MariaDB, you can configure this option to tell the kernel that it can use socket authentication for connecting to the server. `--socket` is passed to the MariaDB client and if the server is started by the kernel, the kernel passes the option to the MariaDB server as well | | port | “3306” | Kernel passes `--port=3306` to the MariaDB client | | password | “” | Kernel passes `--password=”your_pass”` to the MariaDB client | | server\_datadir | "/tmp/mariadb\_kernel/datadir" | Valid only if `start_server=True`. Tells the kernel the location of the datadir for the started server | | server\_pid | "/tmp/mariadb\_kernel/mysqld.pid" | Valid only if `start_server=True`. Tells the kernel the location of the PID file for the started server | | start\_server | “True” | Start a server if no server running is detected for this config | | client\_bin | “mysql” | The name or path for the MariaDB client binary | | server\_bin | “mysqld” | The name or path for the MariaDB server binary | | db\_init\_bin | “mysql\_install\_db” | Valid only if `start_server=True`. The name or path for the `mysql_install_db` binary. The kernel uses this tool to set up the MariaDB Server instance that it starts for you | | extra\_server\_config | \["--no-defaults", "--skip\_log\_error"] | Valid only if `start_server=True`. Extra arguments to pass to the MariaDB Server instance that the kernel starts for you | | extra\_db\_init\_config | \["--auth-root-authentication-method=normal"] | Valid only if `start_server=True`. Extra arguments to pass the `mysql_install_db` script when the kernel sets up the server | | debug | "False" | Enables debug logging which provides lots of internals information | | code\_completion | "True" | Enables SQL autocompletion and code introspection | {% @marketo/form formId="4316" %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://mariadb.com/docs/connectors/other/mariadb-jupyter-kernel/configuring-the-mariadb-jupyter-kernel.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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