Install the CQL shell
The CQL shell (cqlsh) is a Python-based command-line shell you can use to issue Cassandra Query Language (CQL) statements to your Hyper-Converged Database (HCD) databases.
The CQL shell also provides unique cqlsh commands like DESCRIBE KEYSPACE.
There are several ways to access the CQL shell, depending on your environment:
| Environment | CQL shell | Notes |
|---|---|---|
HCD tarball installation |
A supported Python version is required. |
|
HCD not installed |
A supported Python version is required. |
|
HCD Docker container |
A supported Python version is required. |
|
Mission Control |
The CQL console is provided through the Mission Control UI. No additional software is required, but you must have access to the Mission Control UI. For programmatic access, use the other methods. |
Install Python
CQL shell requires Python.
HCD 1.1 supports Python 3.8 to 3.13. HCD 1.1.5 or later is required for Python 3.12 or 3.13.
If you have multiple Python versions installed, run cqlsh in a virtual environment that uses a supported Python version.
To verify your Python version, run python -V.
Install the standalone CQL shell for HCD
To install the standalone CQL shell tool, you need the cqlsh binary tarball file from your HCD installation files.
Unpack the cqlsh distribution into the directory where you want to install cqlsh.
For example:
+
tar -xzvf cqlsh-VERSION-bin.tar.gz -C /PATH/TO/INSTALL/DIRECTORYUse the tarball-bundled CQL shell
If you installed HCD from a tarball, you can find cqlsh in the bin directory of your HCD installation directory.
Make sure you have a supported Python version.
Use the Docker-bundled CQL shell
If you are running a HCD demo Docker container, you can run the cqlsh script inside the container.
