# SingleStore Client

## Overview

The `singlestore-client` package contains is a lightweight client application that allows you to run SQL queries against your database from a terminal window.

Refer to [SingleStore Client Installation](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.0/user-and-cluster-administration/cluster-management-with-tools/singlestore-tools-installation/singlestore-client-installation.md) for information on installing, upgrading, or uninstalling the client. After installing the `singlestore-client`, use the `singlestore` command to connect to your SingleStore database.

The `singlestore` command is a wrapper script that starts the `singlestore-client` binary with predefined connection options, including `--no-defaults`. Use `singlestore --help` to view additional supported connection options.

While the following options may appear in the output of `singlestore --help`, these are not supported by the `singlestore` command (wrapper):

* `--defaults-file`
* `--defaults-extra-file`
* `--defaults-group-suffix`
* `--no-defaults` (implicitly applied)
* `--login-path`

These options are only supported as leading arguments in the command line. Because the `singlestore` wrapper inserts its own options before the user-specified arguments, these options are not treated as leading arguments and are rejected by the option parser. Consequently, the `singlestore` command does not read MySQL option files, such as `my.cnf`.

To use an option file for connection configuration or credentials, run the `singlestore-client` binary directly and specify `--defaults-file` as the first option. For example:

```shell
/usr/lib/singlestore-client/singlestore-client \
  --defaults-file=/path/to/file.cnf
```

If the client was installed from a tarball, the `singlestore-client` binary is located in the `lib` directory within the extracted directory.

For more connection options, help is available through `singlestore --help`.

```shell
singlestore -h <Master-or-Child-Aggregator-host-IP-address> -P <port> -u <user> -p<secure-password>

```

```output

Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 12
Server version: 5.7.32 SingleStoreDB source distribution (compatible; MySQL Enterprise & MySQL Commercial)

Copyright (c) 2000, 2022, Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its
affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the current input statement.

singlestore> 

```

***

Modified at: September 30, 2026

Source: [/db/v9.0/user-and-cluster-administration/cluster-management-with-tools/singlestore-client/](https://docs.singlestore.com/db/v9.0/user-and-cluster-administration/cluster-management-with-tools/singlestore-client/)

(An index of the documentation is available at /llms.txt)