How should I tackle --secure-file-priv in MySQL?

Question

I am learning MySQL and tried using a LOAD DATA clause. When I used it as below:

LOAD DATA INFILE \"text.txt\" INTO table mytable;

Answer 1

For mysql 8.0 version you can do this:

mysql.server stop
mysql.server start --secure-file-priv=''

It worked for me on Mac High Sierra.

Answer 2

At macOS Catalina, I followed this steps to set secure_file_priv

1.Stop MySQL service

 sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server stop

2.Restart MYSQL assigning --secure_file_priv system variables

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start --secure-file-priv=YOUR_FILE_DIRECTORY

Note: Adding empty value fix the issue for me, and MYSQL will export data to directory /usr/local/mysql/data/YOUR_DB_TABLE/EXPORT_FILE

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start --secure-file-priv=

Thanks

Answer 3

I had all sorts of problems with this. I was changing my.cnf and all sorts of crazy things that other versions of this problem tried to show.

What worked for me:

The error I was getting

The MySQL server is running with the --secure-file-priv option so it cannot execute this statement

I was able to fix it by opening /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server and changing the following line:

$bindir/mysqld_safe --datadir="$datadir" --pid-file="$mysqld_pid_file_path" -- $other_args >/dev/null &
  wait_for_pid created "$!" "$mysqld_pid_file_path"; return_value=$?

to

$bindir/mysqld_safe --datadir="$datadir" --pid-file="$mysqld_pid_file_path" --secure-file-priv="" $other_args >/dev/null &
  wait_for_pid created "$!" "$mysqld_pid_file_path"; return_value=$?

Answer 4

It's working as intended. Your MySQL server has been started with --secure-file-priv option which basically limits from which directories you can load files using LOAD DATA INFILE.

You may use SHOW VARIABLES LIKE "secure_file_priv"; to see the directory that has been configured.

You have two options:

1. Move your file to the directory specified by secure-file-priv.
2. Disable secure-file-priv. This must be removed from startup and cannot be modified dynamically. To do this check your MySQL start up parameters (depending on platform) and my.ini.

Answer 5

Here is what worked for me in Windows 7 to disable secure-file-priv (Option #2 from vhu's answer):

1. Stop the MySQL server service by going into services.msc.
2. Go to C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.6 (ProgramData was a hidden folder in my case).
3. Open the my.ini file in Notepad.
4. Search for 'secure-file-priv'.
5. Comment the line out by adding '#' at the start of the line. For MySQL Server 5.7.16 and above, commenting won't work. You have to set it to an empty string like this one - secure-file-priv=""
6. Save the file.
7. Start the MySQL server service by going into services.msc.

Answer 6

I created a NodeJS import script if you are running nodeJS and you data is in the following form (double quote + comma and \n new line)

INSERT INTO <your_table> VALUEs( **CSV LINE **)

This one is configured to run on http://localhost:5000/import.

I goes line by line and creates query string

"city","city_ascii","lat","lng","country","iso2","iso3","id"
"Tokyo","Tokyo","35.6850","139.7514","Japan","JP","JPN","1392685764",
...

server.js

const express = require('express'),
   cors = require('cors'),
   bodyParser = require('body-parser'),
   cookieParser = require('cookie-parser'),
   session = require('express-session'),
   app = express(),
   port = process.env.PORT || 5000,
   pj = require('./config/config.json'),
   path = require('path');

app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(cookieParser());
app.use(cors());


app.use(
   bodyParser.urlencoded({
      extended: false,
   })
);

var Import = require('./routes/ImportRoutes.js');

app.use('/import', Import);
if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
   // set static folder
   app.use(express.static('client/build'));

   app.get('*', (req, res) => {
      res.sendFile(path.resolve(__dirname, 'client', 'build', 'index.html'));
   });
}

app.listen(port, function () {
   console.log('Server is running on port: ' + port);
});

ImportRoutes.js

const express = require('express'),
   cors = require('cors'),
   fs = require('fs-extra'),
   byline = require('byline'),
   db = require('../database/db'),
   importcsv = express.Router();

importcsv.use(cors());

importcsv.get('/csv', (req, res) => {

   function processFile() {
      return new Promise((resolve) => {
         let first = true;
         var sql, sqls;
         var stream = byline(
            fs.createReadStream('../PATH/TO/YOUR!!!csv', {
               encoding: 'utf8',
            })
         );

         stream
            .on('data', function (line, err) {
               if (line !== undefined) {
                  sql = 'INSERT INTO <your_table> VALUES (' + line.toString() + ');';
                  if (first) console.log(sql);
                  first = false;
                  db.sequelize.query(sql);
               }
            })
            .on('finish', () => {
               resolve(sqls);
            });
      });
   }

   async function startStream() {
      console.log('started stream');
      const sqls = await processFile();
      res.end();
      console.log('ALL DONE');
   }

   startStream();
});

module.exports = importcsv;

db.js is the config file

const Sequelize = require('sequelize');
const db = {};
const sequelize = new Sequelize(
   config.global.db,
   config.global.user,
   config.global.password,
   {
      host: config.global.host,
      dialect: 'mysql',
      logging: console.log,
      freezeTableName: true,

      pool: {
         max: 5,
         min: 0,
         acquire: 30000,
         idle: 10000,
      },
   }
);

db.sequelize = sequelize;
db.Sequelize = Sequelize;

module.exports = db;

Disclaimer: This is not a perfect solution - I am only posting it for devs who are under a timeline and have lots of data to import and are encountering this ridiculous issue. I lost a lot of time on this and I hope to spare another dev the same lost time.