grass-mesql(1)

💾 grass-mesql(1) — the GRASS GIS User's Manual, but make it cute ✨

okay bestie, gather round, because today we're talking about the MySQL embedded driver in GRASS GIS 8.4.2 and honestly? it's giving convenience. 💅

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🌸 MySQL embedded driver 🌸

The MySQL database driver lets GRASS store vector attributes in a MySQL embedded database — no MySQL server required, no cap. it just... lives inside your mapset like a lil roommate. 🫶

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🔌 Driver and database name

So here's the tea: GRASS modules need 2 parameters to connect to a database. Those parameters are driver and database. ✨

• for the MySQL embedded driver, the driver parameter has to be set to the value mesql. that's the vibe check. no substitutions.
• the database parameter is a full path to the directory where the database tables are stored. the best place for it? a directory in the mapset, periodt. 👑

⚠️ bestie listen — the directory must be created before use of the driver. it will not create itself. it is not that girl.

In the name of the database you can use 3 variables:

• $GISDBASE — path to current GISBASE
• $LOCATION_NAME — name of current location
• $MAPSET — name of current mapset

🌈 Examples of connection parameters

db.connect driver=mesql database='$GISDBASE/$LOCATION_NAME/$MAPSET/mysql'
db.connect driver=mesql database=/home/user1/db

like... look at her. iconic. 😭💖

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🧚 Data types, indexes

For more info about supported data types and indexes, go check the documentation for the MySQL (mysql) driver. that's where the details live, iykyk. 📚

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🗄️ Database type

Okay so real talk: database closing was found very slow if InnoDB was used 😭, so the InnoDB storage is disabled by default — it's hardcoded with the --skip-innodb server option. that's just how she is. 💀

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📌 Note

The embedded server is started with a hardcoded --bootstrap option, and the whole reason is to avoid the warning about the missing "mysql.time_zone_leap_second table". This can be fixed in future. 👀 (foreshadowing, bestie.)

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🚨 Troubleshooting: SQL syntax error

If you try to use a reserved SQL word as a column or table name, you're gonna get an "SQL syntax" error. that's not a you problem, that's just SQL being SQL. 🙈

The list of reserved words for MySQL can be found in the MySQL manual. go peek before you name your column order. please. 🥲

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👑 AUTHOR

Radim Blazek

Credits: Development of the driver was sponsored by Faunalia (Italy) as part of a project for ATAC. shoutout to the sponsors, they ate. 🫶✨

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🔗 SEE ALSO

• db.connect
• SQL support in GRASS GIS

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📂 SOURCE CODE

Available at: MySQL embedded driver source code (history)

Accessed: Saturday Jan 17 05:40:32 2026

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and that's the whole page, bestie 💖 this was grass-mesql(1) from the GRASS GIS 8.4.2 Reference Manual, © 2003-2025 GRASS Development Team — go forth and embed your MySQL, you absolute main character. 🌟🦋🎀