Help with 'RuntimError : Error creating DB and tables'

[PrathamGowtham]

### So I have a RHEL-8.10 env in which I can't natively install langflow. I instead created a WSL of the same (RHEL-8.10) and FTPd the langflow package and its dependencies to the the RHEL env, where upon running langflow i am getting the following error :

_File "/user/langflow-env-3/lib/python3.10/site-packages/aiosqlite/core.py", line 105, in run
result = function()
sqlite3.OperationalError: attempt to write a readonly database

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

File "/user/langflow-env-3/lib/python3.10/site-
packages/aiosqlite/core.py", line 105, in run
result = function()
sqlalchemy.exc.OperationalError: (sqlite3.OperationalError) attempt to write a readonly database
(Background on this error at: https://sqlalche.me/e/20/e3q8)

The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:

File "/user/langflow-env-3/lib/python3.10/site-packages/langflow/services/database/utils.py", line 32, in initialize_database
raise RuntimeError(msg) from exc
RuntimeError: Error creating DB and tables

Application startup failed. Exiting._

Any way to fix this issue? one more thing : the RHEL-8.10 env in which i am trying to run langflow, doesnt have internet access (thus me having to FTP the packages).

[dosubot[bot]]

Hi @PrathamGowtham! I'm Dosu and I’m helping the langflow team.

The error "sqlite3.OperationalError: attempt to write a readonly database" means that Langflow cannot write to its SQLite database file. By default, Langflow stores its database at ~/.cache/langflow/langflow.db on Linux/WSL systems, or at ./langflow.db if the environment variable is not set [source].

This error almost always happens because the database file or its parent directory does not have write permissions for the user running Langflow. Here’s how you can resolve it:

1. Check directory permissions: Make sure the directory where the database is being created (for example, ~/.cache/langflow/ or your current working directory) is writable by your user. You can do this with:

   ls -ld ~/.cache/langflow
   

   If it’s not writable, you can fix it with:

   chmod u+w ~/.cache/langflow
   

   Or, if the directory doesn’t exist, create it:

   mkdir -p ~/.cache/langflow
   chmod u+w ~/.cache/langflow
   

2. Change the database location: If you want to use a different location, set the LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL environment variable to a writable path before starting Langflow. For example:

   export LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL="sqlite:////tmp/langflow.db"
   

   This will create the database in /tmp, which is usually writable [source].

3. Verify file permissions: If the database file already exists, make sure it is writable:

   chmod u+w ~/.cache/langflow/langflow.db
   

If you continue to have issues, you can configure Langflow to use an external database (like PostgreSQL), but this requires more setup and may not be practical in an offline environment [source].

No specific issues with SQLite permissions on RHEL were found in the Langflow repository, so this is almost certainly a file system permissions problem. Let me know if you need help with the exact commands for your setup.

To reply, just mention my name @dosu.

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[PrathamGowtham]

i see that "~/.cache/langflow" exists but there is no langflow.db present, instead there .log files present. how should i proceed

[dosubot[bot]]

If ~/.cache/langflow exists but there is no langflow.db file, it means the database initialization failed—likely due to permissions or migration issues.

First, check that the directory is writable by running:

ls -ld ~/.cache/langflow

If it’s not writable, fix it with:

chmod u+w ~/.cache/langflow

Next, check the .log files in that directory for any error messages—they may reveal why the database wasn’t created.

A common fix is to clear the cache by deleting everything in ~/.cache/langflow/ (after backing up any important files), then try running Langflow again. This can resolve migration or initialization issues and allow the database to be created properly [source].

If the problem persists, try setting the database location to a directory you know is writable, for example:

export LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL="sqlite:////tmp/langflow.db"

and then start Langflow. This will force the database to be created in /tmp, which is usually writable [source].

Let me know what you find in the log files or if these steps don’t resolve the issue.

To reply, just mention my name @dosu.

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[PrathamGowtham]

where does the LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL exist so that i can change

[dosubot[bot]]

The LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL is an environment variable—you set it in your shell, not in a file inside the Langflow package. To change it, run this command in your terminal before starting Langflow:

export LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL="sqlite:////tmp/langflow.db"

This example sets the database location to /tmp/langflow.db, which is usually writable. You can replace the path with any writable directory.

If you want this change to persist across terminal sessions, add the export line to your shell configuration file (like ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc), then run source ~/.bashrc (or the appropriate file for your shell) or restart your terminal.

After setting the variable, start Langflow from the same terminal session.

To reply, just mention my name @dosu.

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[PrathamGowtham]

it still is not working, i set persmissions for ~/.cache/langflow using "chmod 777" and then I did "export LANGFLOW_DATABASE_URL="sqlite:////tmp/langflow.db", it still is giving me the same error.