Facing SECRET_KEY issue

[Dummy-12345]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to host APACHE SUPERSET through PYTHON in my windows machine instead of using any DOCKER image. I successfully installed the apache-superset package in my python 3.9 environment. When I execute the superset db upgrade command, I face the below error:

A Default SECRET_KEY was detected, please use superset_config.py to override it.
Use a strong complex alphanumeric string and use a tool to help you generate
a sufficiently random sequence, ex: openssl rand -base64 42

---

Refusing to start due to insecure SECRET_KEY

Thanks in advance!!!

[dosubot[bot]]

Hey @Dummy-12345! I'm here to help with any bugs, questions, or contributions you have. Let's tackle this issue together!

To resolve the issue of the insecure SECRET_KEY and set a secure SECRET_KEY in the superset_config.py file for hosting Apache Superset on your Windows machine, follow these steps:

1. Generate a Strong Secret Key: Use the openssl command to generate a strong secret key. Open a terminal and run:

   openssl rand -base64 42

   This will generate a random string that you can use as your SECRET_KEY.

2. Set the SECRET_KEY in superset_config.py: Open your superset_config.py file and set the SECRET_KEY parameter with the generated key. For example:

   SECRET_KEY = 'YOUR_OWN_RANDOM_GENERATED_SECRET_KEY'

Here is an example of what your superset_config.py file might look like:

# Superset specific config
ROW_LIMIT = 5000

# Flask App Builder configuration
# Your App secret key will be used for securely signing the session cookie
# and encrypting sensitive information on the database
# Make sure you are changing this key for your deployment with a strong key.
# Alternatively you can set it with `SUPERSET_SECRET_KEY` environment variable.
# You MUST set this for production environments or the server will refuse
# to start and you will see an error in the logs accordingly.
SECRET_KEY = 'YOUR_OWN_RANDOM_GENERATED_SECRET_KEY'

# The SQLAlchemy connection string to your database backend
SQLALCHEMY_DATABASE_URI = 'sqlite:////path/to/superset.db?check_same_thread=false'

# Flask-WTF flag for CSRF
WTF_CSRF_ENABLED = True
WTF_CSRF_EXEMPT_LIST = []
WTF_CSRF_TIME_LIMIT = 60 * 60 * 24 * 365

# Set this API key to enable Mapbox visualizations
MAPBOX_API_KEY = ''

Make sure to replace 'YOUR_OWN_RANDOM_GENERATED_SECRET_KEY' with the actual key you generated. This will ensure that your SECRET_KEY is secure.

Additionally, you can set the SECRET_KEY using an environment variable SUPERSET_SECRET_KEY as shown in the main configuration file:

# Your App secret key. Make sure you override it on superset_config.py
# or use `SUPERSET_SECRET_KEY` environment variable.
# Use a strong complex alphanumeric string and use a tool to help you generate
# a sufficiently random sequence, ex: openssl rand -base64 42"
SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get("SUPERSET_SECRET_KEY") or CHANGE_ME_SECRET_KEY

This approach allows you to keep the secret key out of your source code, enhancing security ^[1][2].

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

[Dummy-12345]

Hi @dosu,

Could you please help me on where to place that superset_config.py file?

Thanks!

[dosubot[bot]]

You should place the superset_config.py file in a directory that is included in your PYTHONPATH. This is because the main configuration file for Superset includes the line:

from superset_config import *

This means that Superset will look for the superset_config.py file in the directories listed in the PYTHONPATH.

Additionally, you can create an environment variable SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH specifying the full path of the superset_config.py. For example, if your superset_config.py is under the C:\superset directory, you can set the environment variable as follows:

set SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH=C:\superset\superset_config.py

So, you can either:

1. Ensure the directory containing superset_config.py is in your PYTHONPATH.
2. Set the SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH environment variable to the full path of superset_config.py.

By following these steps, Superset will be able to locate and use your custom configuration file ^[1][2].

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

[Dummy-12345]

Hi @dosu,

I tried setting the SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH environment variable and still facing the issue.

Thanks!

[dosubot[bot]]

Ensure that the SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH environment variable is set correctly and that the path is accessible. Here are some common pitfalls and solutions:

1. Path Format: On Windows, ensure the path uses double backslashes (\\) or forward slashes (/):

   set SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH=C:\\path\\to\\superset_config.py

   or

   set SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH=C:/path/to/superset_config.py

2. Environment Variable Scope: Make sure the environment variable is set in the correct scope. For a temporary session, use:

   set SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH=C:/path/to/superset_config.py

   For a permanent setting, add it through System Properties > Environment Variables.

3. Correct File Path: Verify that the path to superset_config.py is correct and the file is accessible.

4. Permissions: Ensure the user running Superset has the necessary permissions to read the superset_config.py file.

5. Case Sensitivity: Ensure SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH is in uppercase.

6. Configuration File Syntax: Ensure there are no syntax errors in the superset_config.py file.

By addressing these common issues, you should be able to resolve the problem with the SUPERSET_CONFIG_PATH environment variable on your Windows machine ^[1].

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.

[Dummy-12345]

Hi @dosu,

am using python 3.8, will that be an issue?

[dosubot[bot]]

Yes, there are known compatibility issues between running Apache Superset on Python 3.8 versus Python 3.9. Specifically, support for Python 3.9 was added in version 3.0.0 of Superset. This suggests that prior to this change, Apache Superset may not have fully supported Python 3.9, and users running Python 3.8 would not have encountered issues specific to Python 3.9 ^[1].

However, if you are using Python 3.8, you should not face issues related to Python 3.9 compatibility. If you continue to experience issues, they are likely unrelated to the Python version.

To continue talking to Dosu, mention @dosu.