📋

Description

This error indicates that MariaDB does not recognize or support the character set name provided in a query or configuration. It commonly occurs when creating databases, tables, or establishing connections, preventing the operation from completing successfully.

💬

Error Message

Unknown character set: '%s'

🔍

Known Causes

4 known causes

⚠️

Typo in Character Set Name

A character set name was misspelled, or an incorrect alias was used when defining a database, table, or connection parameter.

⚠️

Unsupported Character Set

The specified character set is not recognized or supported by your current MariaDB server version or build configuration.

⚠️

Missing Character Set Plugin

For certain less common character sets, a required plugin or module may not be loaded or installed on the MariaDB server.

⚠️

Client-Server Miscommunication

The client application is attempting to use a character set for communication that the MariaDB server does not understand.

🛠️

Solutions

4 solutions available

1. Correcting the Character Set in Your SQL Statement easy

Identify and correct the misspelled or unsupported character set name directly within your SQL query.

1

Examine the SQL statement that triggered the 'Unknown character set' error. Look for the `CHARACTER SET` clause.

Example of a statement that might cause this error:
CREATE TABLE my_table (col1 VARCHAR(255)) DEFAULT CHARACTER SET 'utf8mb4_general_ci_typo';

2

Verify the spelling and validity of the character set name. Common typos include extra characters, incorrect underscores, or invalid variations.

Corrected example:
CREATE TABLE my_table (col1 VARCHAR(255)) DEFAULT CHARACTER SET 'utf8mb4';
-- Or a more specific collation if needed:
CREATE TABLE my_table (col1 VARCHAR(255)) DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

3

If you intended to use a specific collation, ensure it's valid for the chosen character set. You can list available character sets and collations with `SHOW CHARACTER SET;` and `SHOW COLLATION;`.

SHOW CHARACTER SET;
SHOW COLLATION;

2. Setting the Default Character Set for a Database medium

Modify the database's default character set to a supported one, preventing future errors for new objects.

1

Connect to your MariaDB server using a client like `mysql` or `mariadb`.

mariadb -u your_user -p

2

Select the database for which you want to change the default character set.

USE your_database_name;

3

Alter the database to set a valid default character set. `utf8mb4` is generally recommended for broad compatibility.

ALTER DATABASE your_database_name DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_unicode_ci;

4

Verify the change by checking the database's information schema.

SELECT SCHEMA_NAME, DEFAULT_CHARACTER_SET_NAME, DEFAULT_COLLATION_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.SCHEMATA WHERE SCHEMA_NAME = 'your_database_name';

3. Configuring MariaDB Server Defaults medium

Update the MariaDB server configuration file to set global default character set and collation.

1

Locate your MariaDB configuration file. Common locations include `/etc/my.cnf`, `/etc/mysql/my.cnf`, or a file within `/etc/mysql/conf.d/`.

Example: find / -name my.cnf 2>/dev/null

2

Open the configuration file with a text editor (e.g., `nano`, `vim`). You'll likely need root privileges.

sudo nano /etc/my.cnf

3

Add or modify the `character-set-server` and `collation-server` settings under the `[mysqld]` section. Ensure the character set is valid.

[mysqld]
character-set-server = utf8mb4
collation-server = utf8mb4_unicode_ci

4

Save the changes and restart the MariaDB service for the new configuration to take effect.

sudo systemctl restart mariadb

5

After restarting, connect to MariaDB and check the server status to confirm the new defaults.

SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'character_set_server';
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'collation_server';

4. Updating Client Connection Character Set easy

Ensure your client application or tool is configured to use a supported character set when connecting to MariaDB.

1

Identify the character set setting in your client application or connection string.

Example in a Python script using mariadb-connector:

import mariadb

try:
    conn = mariadb.connect(
        user="your_user",
        password="your_password",
        host="your_host",
        database="your_database",
        charset="utf8mb4"  # Ensure this is a valid charset
    )
    print("Connected successfully")
except mariadb.Error as e:
    print(f"Error connecting to MariaDB: {e}")

2

Consult the documentation for your specific client tool (e.g., MySQL Workbench, DBeaver, command-line client) to find where to set the character set.

For the `mariadb` command-line client, you can use the `--default-character-set` option:
mariadb -u your_user -p --default-character-set=utf8mb4

3

Ensure the character set specified in the client matches a supported character set on the MariaDB server.

Run `SHOW CHARACTER SET;` on your MariaDB server to list available character sets.

🔗

Related Errors

5 related errors

MariaDB Error 1115: Unknown Character Set Specified