arangosh Options

The startup options of the arangosh executable

Usage: arangosh [<options>]

General

`--check-configuration`

Type: boolean

Check the configuration and exit.

This is a command, no value needs to be specified. The process terminates after executing the command.

`--config`

Type: string

The configuration file or “none”.

`--configuration`

Type: string

The configuration file or “none”.

`--default-language`

Deprecated in: v3.10.0

Type: string

An ISO-639 language code. You can only set this option once, when initializing the database.

Show details

`--default-language-check`

Introduced in: v3.8.0

Type: boolean

Check if --icu-language / --default-language matches the stored language.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--define`

Type: string…

Define a value for a @key@ entry in the configuration file using the syntax "key=value".

`--dump-dependencies`

Type: boolean

Dump the dependency graph of the feature phases (internal) and exit.

This is a command, no value needs to be specified. The process terminates after executing the command.

`--dump-options`

Type: boolean

Dump all available startup options in JSON format and exit.

This is a command, no value needs to be specified. The process terminates after executing the command.

`--honor-nsswitch`

Type: boolean

Allow hostname lookup configuration via /etc/nsswitch.conf if on Linux/glibc.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--icu-language`

Introduced in: v3.9.1

Type: string

An ICU locale ID to set a language and optionally additional properties that affect string comparisons and sorting. You can only set this option once, when initializing the database.

Show details

`--jslint`

Type: string…

Do not start as a shell, run jslint instead.

`--log`

Deprecated in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Set the topic-specific log level, using --log level for the general topic or --log topic=level for the specified topic (can be specified multiple times). Available log levels: fatal, error, warning, info, debug, trace.

Default: info

`--quiet`

Type: boolean

Silent startup.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--use-splice-syscall`

Introduced in: v3.9.4

Type: boolean

Use the splice() syscall for file copying (may not be supported on all filesystems).

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

Available on Linux only.

Show details

`--version`

Type: boolean

Print the version and other related information, then exit.

This is a command, no value needs to be specified. The process terminates after executing the command.

`--version-json`

Introduced in: v3.9.0

Type: boolean

Print the version and other related information in JSON format, then exit.

This is a command, no value needs to be specified. The process terminates after executing the command.

console

`--console.audit-file`

Type: string

The audit log file to save commands and results to.

`--console.auto-complete`

Type: boolean

Enable auto-completion.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--console.colors`

Type: boolean

Enable color support.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--console.history`

Introduced in: v3.4.5

Type: boolean

Whether to load and persist command-line history.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--console.pager`

Type: boolean

Enable paging.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--console.pager-command`

Type: string

The pager command.

Default: less -X -R -F -L

`--console.pretty-print`

Type: boolean

Enable pretty-printing.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--console.prompt`

Type: string

The prompt used in REPL (placeholders: %t = the current time as timestamp, %p = the duration of last command in seconds, %d = the name of the current database, %e = the current endpoint, %E = the current endpoint without the protocol, %u = the current user

Default: %E@%d>

encryption

`--encryption.key-generator`

Enterprise Edition

Type: string

A program providing the encryption key on stdout. If set, encryption at rest is enabled.

Show details

`--encryption.keyfile`

Enterprise Edition

Type: string

The path to the file that contains the encryption key. Must contain 32 bytes of data. If set, encryption at rest is enabled.

Show details

You must secure the encryption key file so that only arangodump, arangorestore, and arangod can access it. You should also ensure that the file is not readable if someone steals your hardware, for example, by encrypting /mytmpfs or creating an in-memory file-system under /mytmpfs.

javascript

`--javascript.allow-external-process-control`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Allow the execution and control of external processes from within JavaScript actions.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--javascript.allow-port-testing`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Allow the testing of ports from within JavaScript actions.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--javascript.check-syntax`

Type: string…

Check the syntax of the JavaScript code from the specified file.

`--javascript.client-module`

Type: string

The client module to use at startup.

Default: client.js

`--javascript.copy-directory`

Type: string

The target directory to copy files from --javascript.startup-directory to (only used if --javascript.copy-installation is enabled).

`--javascript.copy-installation`

Type: boolean

Copy the contents of --javascript.startup-directory.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--javascript.current-module-directory`

Type: boolean

Add the current directory to the module path.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--javascript.endpoints-allowlist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Endpoints that can be connected to via the @arangodb/request module in JavaScript actions.

`--javascript.endpoints-denylist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Endpoints that cannot be connected to via the @arangodb/request module in JavaScript actions (if not in the allowlist).

`--javascript.environment-variables-allowlist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Environment variables that are accessible in JavaScript.

`--javascript.environment-variables-denylist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Environment variables that are inaccessible in JavaScript (if not in the allowlist).

`--javascript.execute`

Type: string…

Execute the JavaScript code from the specified file.

`--javascript.execute-string`

Type: string…

Execute the JavaScript code from the specified string.

`--javascript.files-allowlist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Filesystem paths that are accessible from within JavaScript actions.

`--javascript.gc-interval`

Type: uint64

Request-based garbage collection interval (each n-th command).

Default: 50

`--javascript.harden`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Disable access to JavaScript functions in the internal module: getPid() and logLevel().

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--javascript.module-directory`

Type: string…

Additional paths containing JavaScript modules.

`--javascript.startup-directory`

Type: string

The startup paths containing the JavaScript files.

Default: /usr/share/arangodb3/js

`--javascript.startup-options-allowlist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Startup options whose names match this regular expression are allowed and exposed to JavaScript.

`--javascript.startup-options-denylist`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string…

Startup options whose names match this regular expression are not exposed (if not in the allowlist) to JavaScript actions.

`--javascript.unit-test-filter`

Type: string

Filter the test cases in the test suite.

`--javascript.unit-tests`

Type: string…

Do not start as a shell, run unit tests instead.

`--javascript.v8-max-heap`

Type: uint64

The maximal heap size (in MiB).

Default: 3072

`--javascript.v8-options`

Type: string…

Options to pass to V8.

Show details

You can optionally pass arguments to the V8 JavaScript engine. The V8 engine runs with the default settings unless you explicitly specify them. The options are forwarded to the V8 engine, which parses them on its own. Passing invalid options may result in an error being printed on stderr and the option being ignored.

You need to pass the options as one string, with V8 option names being prefixed with two hyphens. Multiple options need to be separated by whitespace. To get a list of all available V8 options, you can use the value "--help" as follows:

--javascript.v8-options="--help"

Another example of specific V8 options being set at startup:

--javascript.v8-options="--log --no-logfile-per-isolate --logfile=v8.log"

Names and features or usable options depend on the version of V8 being used, and might change in the future if a different version of V8 is being used in ArangoDB. Not all options offered by V8 might be sensible to use in the context of ArangoDB. Use the specific options only if you are sure that they are not harmful for the regular database operation.

log

`--log.color`

Type: boolean

Use colors for TTY logging.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: dynamic (e.g. true)

`--log.escape-control-chars`

Introduced in: v3.9.0

Type: boolean

Escape control characters in log messages.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

Show details

`--log.escape-unicode-chars`

Introduced in: v3.9.0

Type: boolean

Escape Unicode characters in log messages.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Show details

`--log.file`

Type: string

shortcut for ‘--log.output file://’

Default: -

`--log.file-group`

Introduced in: v3.4.5

Type: string

group to use for new log file, user must be a member of this group

`--log.file-mode`

Introduced in: v3.4.5

Type: string

mode to use for new log file, umask will be applied as well

`--log.force-direct`

Type: boolean

Do not start a separate thread for logging.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Show details

You can use this option to disable logging in an extra logging thread. If set to true, any log messages are immediately printed in the thread that triggered the log message. This is non-optimal for performance but can aid debugging. If set to false, log messages are handed off to an extra logging thread, which asynchronously writes the log messages.

`--log.foreground-tty`

Type: boolean

Also log to TTY if backgrounded.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--log.hostname`

Introduced in: v3.8.0

Type: string

The hostname to use in log message. Leave empty for none, use “auto” to automatically determine a hostname.

Show details

`--log.ids`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Log unique message IDs.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

Show details

`--log.level`

Type: string…

Set the topic-specific log level, using --log.level level for the general topic or --log.level topic=level for the specified topic (can be specified multiple times). Available log levels: fatal, error, warning, info, debug, trace. Available log topics: all, agency, agencycomm, agencystore, aql, audit-authentication, audit-authorization, audit-collection, audit-database, audit-document, audit-hotbackup, audit-service, audit-view, authentication, authorization, backup, bench, cache, cluster, communication, config, crash, development, dump, engines, flush, general, graphs, heartbeat, httpclient, ldap, license, maintenance, memory, mmap, pregel, queries, rep-state, replication, replication2, requests, restore, rocksdb, security, ssl, startup, statistics, supervision, syscall, threads, trx, ttl, v8, validation, views.

Default: info

Show details

ArangoDB’s log output is grouped by topics. --log.level can be specified multiple times at startup, for as many topics as needed. The log verbosity and output files can be adjusted per log topic.

arangod --log.level all=warning --log.level queries=trace --log.level startup=trace

This sets a global log level of warning and two topic-specific levels (trace for queries and info for startup). Note that --log.level warning does not set a log level globally for all existing topics, but only the general topic. Use the pseudo-topic all to set a global log level.

The same in a configuration file:

[log]
level = all=warning
level = queries=trace
level = startup=trace

The available log levels are:

fatal: Only log fatal errors.
error: Only log errors.
warning: Only log warnings and errors.
info: Log information messages, warnings, and errors.
debug: Log debug and information messages, warnings, and errors.
trace: Logs trace, debug, and information messages, warnings, and errors.

Note that the debug and trace levels are very verbose.

Some relevant log topics available in ArangoDB 3 are:

agency: Information about the cluster Agency.
performance: Performance-related messages.
queries: Executed AQL queries, slow queries.
replication: Replication-related information.
requests: HTTP requests.
startup: Information about server startup and shutdown.
threads: Information about threads.

You can adjust the log levels at runtime via the PUT /_admin/log/level HTTP API endpoint.

Audit logging (Enterprise Edition): The server logs all audit events by default. Low priority events, such as statistics operations, are logged with the debug log level. To keep such events from cluttering the log, set the appropriate log topics to the info log level.

`--log.line-number`

Type: boolean

Include the function name, file name, and line number of the source code that issues the log message. Format: [func@FileName.cpp:123]

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--log.max-entry-length`

Introduced in: v3.7.9

Type: uint32

The maximum length of a log entry (in bytes).

Default: 134217728

Show details

`--log.max-queued-entries`

Introduced in: v3.10.12, v3.11.5

Type: uint32

Upper limit of log entries that are queued in a background thread.

Default: 10000

Show details

`--log.output`

Type: string…

Log destination(s), e.g. file:///path/to/file (any occurrence of $PID is replaced with the process ID).

Show details

`--log.performance`

Deprecated in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Shortcut for --log.level performance=trace.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--log.prefix`

Type: string

Prefix log message with this string.

Show details

`--log.process`

Introduced in: v3.8.0

Type: boolean

Show the process identifier (PID) in log messages.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--log.request-parameters`

Type: boolean

include full URLs and HTTP request parameters in trace logs

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--log.role`

Type: boolean

Log the server role.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Show details

`--log.shorten-filenames`

Type: boolean

shorten filenames in log output (use with --log.line-number)

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--log.structured-param`

Introduced in: v3.10.0

Type: string…

Toggle the usage of the log category parameter in structured log messages.

Show details

`--log.thread`

Type: boolean

Show the thread identifier in log messages.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--log.thread-name`

Type: boolean

Show thread name in log messages.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--log.time-format`

Introduced in: v3.5.0

Type: string

The time format to use in logs.

Default: utc-datestring

Possible values: “local-datestring”, “timestamp”, “timestamp-micros”, “timestamp-millis”, “uptime”, “uptime-micros”, “uptime-millis”, “utc-datestring”, “utc-datestring-micros”, “utc-datestring-millis”

Show details

Format	Example	Description
`timestamp`	1553766923000	Unix timestamps, in seconds
`timestamp-millis`	1553766923000.123	Unix timestamps, in seconds, with millisecond precision
`timestamp-micros`	1553766923000.123456	Unix timestamps, in seconds, with microsecond precision
`uptime`	987654	seconds since server start
`uptime-millis`	987654.123	seconds since server start, with millisecond precision
`uptime-micros`	987654.123456	seconds since server start, with microsecond precision
`utc-datestring`	2019-03-28T09:55:23Z	UTC-based date and time in format YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ
`utc-datestring-millis`	2019-03-28T09:55:23.123Z	like `utc-datestring`, but with millisecond precision
`local-datestring`	2019-03-28T10:55:23	local date and time in format YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS

`--log.use-json-format`

Introduced in: v3.8.0

Type: boolean

Use JSON as output format for logging.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Show details

Key	Value
`time`	date/time of log message, in format specified by `--log.time-format`
`prefix`	only emitted if `--log.prefix` is set
`pid`	process id, only emitted if `--log.process` is set
`tid`	thread id, only emitted if `--log.thread` is set
`thread`	thread name, only emitted if `--log.thread-name` is set
`role`	server role (1 character), only emitted if `--log.role` is set
`level`	log level (e.g. `"WARN"`, `"INFO"`)
`file`	source file name of log message, only emitted if `--log.line-number` is set
`line`	source file line of log message, only emitted if `--log.line-number` is set
`function`	source file function name, only emitted if `--log.line-number` is set
`topic`	log topic name
`id`	log id (5 digit hexadecimal string), only emitted if `--log.ids` is set
`hostname`	hostname if `--log.hostname` is set
`message`	the actual log message payload

`--log.use-local-time`

Deprecated in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Use the local timezone instead of UTC.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Show details

This option is deprecated. Use --log.time-format local-datestring instead.

`--log.use-microtime`

Deprecated in: v3.5.0

Type: boolean

Use Unix timestamps in seconds with microsecond precision.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Show details

This option is deprecated. Use --log.time-format timestamp-micros instead.

random

`--random.generator`

Type: uint32

The random number generator to use (1 = MERSENNE, 2 = RANDOM, 3 = URANDOM, 4 = COMBINED (not available on Windows), 5 = WinCrypt (Windows only). The options 2, 3, 4, and 5 are deprecated and will be removed in a future version.

Default: 1

Possible values: 1, 2, 3, 4

Show details

server

`--server.ask-jwt-secret`

Type: boolean

If enabled, you are prompted for a JWT secret. This option is not compatible with --server.username and --server.password. If specified, it is used for all connections - even if a new connection to another server is created.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--server.authentication`

Type: boolean

Require authentication credentials when connecting (does not affect the server-side authentication settings).

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

Default: true

`--server.connection-timeout`

Type: double

The connection timeout (in seconds).

Default: 5

`--server.database`

Type: string

The database name to use when connecting.

Default: _system

`--server.endpoint`

Type: string…

The endpoint to connect to. Use ’none’ to start without a server. Use http+ssl:// or vst+ssl:// as schema to connect to an SSL-secured server endpoint, otherwise http+tcp://, vst+tcp:// or unix://.

Default: tcp://127.0.0.1:8529

Show details

You can use --server.endpoint none to start arangosh without connecting to a server.

`--server.force-json`

Introduced in: v3.6.0

Type: boolean

Force to not use VelocyPack for easier debugging.

This option can be specified without a value to enable it.

`--server.jwt-secret-keyfile`

Type: string

If enabled, the JWT secret is loaded from the given file. This option is not compatible with --server.ask-jwt-secret, --server.username and --server.password. If specified, it is used for all connections - even if a new connection to another server is created.

`--server.max-packet-size`

Type: uint64

The maximum packet size (in bytes) for client/server communication.

Default: 1073741824

`--server.password`

Type: string

The password to use when connecting. If not specified and authentication is required, the user is prompted for a password

`--server.request-timeout`

Type: double

The request timeout (in seconds).

Default: 1200

`--server.username`

Type: string

The username to use when connecting.

Default: root

ssl

`--ssl.protocol`

Type: uint64

The SSL protocol (1 = SSLv2 (unsupported), 2 = SSLv2 or SSLv3 (negotiated), 3 = SSLv3, 4 = TLSv1, 5 = TLSv1.2, 6 = TLSv1.3, 9 = generic TLS (negotiated))

Default: 5

Possible values: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9

temp

`--temp.path`

Type: string

The path for temporary files.

Show details