Windows

Install, upgrade, and remove MariaDB Shell on Windows with the install.ps1 PowerShell script.

The install.ps1 script installs MariaDB Shell for the current user from a GitHub release. It runs in Windows PowerShell 5.1 and in PowerShell 7, and does not require administrator privileges.

Requirements

• 64-bit Windows on an x86-64 or ARM64 CPU. 32-bit Windows is not supported.
• Windows 10 version 1803 or later, which includes the tar command that the script uses to unpack the package.

Install the Latest Release

Run the following command in a PowerShell window:

irm https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.ps1 | iex

The script performs these steps:

1. Detects the CPU architecture. On a 32-bit PowerShell process running on 64-bit Windows, it detects the architecture of the machine, not of the process.
2. Downloads the SHA256SUMS file of the release and uses it as the list of available packages.
3. Selects the Windows package for your architecture.
4. Downloads the package and compares its SHA-256 checksum with the value in SHA256SUMS. The script stops if the checksums don't match.
5. Unpacks the package into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\mariadb-shell\<version>, for example %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\mariadb-shell\26.9.5.
6. Writes two command files, mariadb-shell.cmd and msh.cmd, into %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\mariadb-shell\bin. Both start the installed version's mariadb-shell.exe. They use paths relative to their own location, so you can move the whole installation directory.
7. Removes older versions, keeping the new version and one previous version. See Upgrade and Roll Back.

info

Without options, the script installs the newest release that is not marked as a prerelease on GitHub. If no such release exists, the script cannot find SHA256SUMS and stops with an error. In that case, install the newest prerelease or a specific version as described in the next sections.

Pass Options to the Script

When you pipe the script into iex, you cannot pass parameters to it. Each parameter therefore has an equivalent environment variable, which you set before you run the command. For example, to install the newest release and add the command directory to your PATH:

$env:MARIADB_SHELL_ADDTOPATH = 1
irm https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.ps1 | iex

To pass parameters directly, create a script block from the downloaded script and invoke it:

& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.ps1))) -AddToPath

Install a Prerelease

To install the newest release even if it is a prerelease, set MARIADB_SHELL_PRERELEASE, or use the -PreRelease parameter:

$env:MARIADB_SHELL_PRERELEASE = 1
irm https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.ps1 | iex

Install a Specific Version

To install a particular release, set MARIADB_SHELL_TAG to its tag, or use the -Tag parameter. A pinned tag takes precedence over -PreRelease:

$env:MARIADB_SHELL_TAG = 'v26.9.5'
irm https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.ps1 | iex

Environment variables that you set with $env: remain set for the rest of the PowerShell session. Remove them with Remove-Item Env:MARIADB_SHELL_TAG before you install another version in the same window.

Add the Command Directory to PATH

The script changes your user PATH only when you ask it to with -AddToPath or MARIADB_SHELL_ADDTOPATH. Otherwise, it prints the command to add the directory yourself:

[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('Path', ([Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path','User') + ";$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\mariadb-shell\bin"), 'User')

Open a new terminal so that the change takes effect, then check the installation:

mariadb-shell --version

Installation Options

Parameter	Environment variable	Default	Description
-Tag	MARIADB_SHELL_TAG	Newest release	Release tag to install, for example v26.9.5.
-PreRelease	MARIADB_SHELL_PRERELEASE	Off	Install the newest release, including prereleases.
-AddToPath	MARIADB_SHELL_ADDTOPATH	Off	Add the command directory to the user PATH.
-Prefix	MARIADB_SHELL_PREFIX	%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\mariadb-shell	Directory that holds the unpacked versions.
-BinDir	MARIADB_SHELL_BINDIR	<prefix>\bin	Directory where mariadb-shell.cmd and msh.cmd are written.
-Repo	MARIADB_SHELL_REPO	mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell	GitHub repository, in owner/repo form, to install from. It must be public.

A parameter takes precedence over its environment variable. For the switch variables MARIADB_SHELL_PRERELEASE and MARIADB_SHELL_ADDTOPATH, any non-empty value turns the setting on.

Upgrade and Roll Back

To upgrade, run the installation command again. The script installs the new version next to the existing ones and rewrites mariadb-shell.cmd and msh.cmd to start it.

After each installation, the script keeps only two versions in the prefix directory: the version it installed and the highest of the other versions. It removes only directories whose names consist of digits and dots.

To roll back, reinstall the earlier release with MARIADB_SHELL_TAG. Alternatively, edit the two .cmd files and change the version in the path they start.

Upgrading does not change your configuration directory, %AppData%\MariaDB\mariadb-shell.

Uninstall

The script has no uninstall mode. To remove MariaDB Shell:

1. Delete the installation directory:

   Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Programs\mariadb-shell"

2. If you added the command directory to your user PATH, remove that entry, for example in Settings > System > About > Advanced system settings > Environment Variables.

3. Optionally, delete your configuration directory, %AppData%\MariaDB\mariadb-shell, and your sandbox directory, %USERPROFILE%\MariaDB\mariadb-shell\sandboxes. Stop any running sandbox instances first. See Files and Environment Variables.

Troubleshooting

Message	Cause and solution
tar was not found	Your Windows build is older than Windows 10 version 1803. Install manually as described in Manual Installation, using another tool to unpack the package.
32-bit Windows is not supported	Only 64-bit packages are built.
could not download SHA256SUMS from the latest release	The release does not exist or is a prerelease. Set MARIADB_SHELL_PRERELEASE or MARIADB_SHELL_TAG.
checksum mismatch	The download is corrupt or incomplete. Run the script again.
LOCALAPPDATA is not set	The default installation directory cannot be determined. Set MARIADB_SHELL_PREFIX or pass -Prefix.