The MySQL client cannot resolve the absolute path of the file supplied to LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE, so the import fails before any data is read.
MySQL Error 2069: CR_LOAD_DATA_LOCAL_INFILE_REALPATH_FAIL occurs when the client cannot turn the relative file path you pass to LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE into a real, absolute path. Correct the path, adjust LOCAL_INFILE permissions, or move the file to an accessible location to resolve the issue.
Determining the real path for '%s' failed with error (%d): %s CR_LOAD_DATA_LOCAL_INFILE_REALPATH_FAIL was added in 8.0.21.
MySQL returns: "Determining the real path for '%s' failed with error (%d): %s". The client aborts the LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE operation because it cannot convert the provided file name into an absolute path on the client machine.
The error only appears when the LOCAL keyword is used, meaning the file is read by the client program, not the server.
Starting with MySQL 8.0.21, the client validates the real path up-front for security reasons.
The error surfaces immediately after the LOAD DATA LOCAL INFILE statement is sent. Nothing is loaded because the client fails before opening the file handle.
The server never sees the file.
Developers usually meet this error on laptops or application hosts where the working directory changes, symbolic links are used, or MySQL Connector/J is running inside a container.
Because the import aborts silently, downstream ETL steps receive empty tables, breaking reports and pipelines. Continuous-integration jobs also fail, delaying releases.
Resolving the real-path problem restores data loading and prevents data drift between environments.
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If the current working directory is different from the script folder, a relative file name cannot be resolved to an absolute path.
Symlinks that point to deleted or moved files cause realpath() to fail, triggering Error 2069.
The OS user running the MySQL client lacks read or execute permission on one or more parent directories, so realpath() cannot traverse them.
Inside Docker, the path mapped from the host may not exist in the container, blocking resolution.
If the MySQL connection has LOCAL_INFILE=0, the client refuses to resolve any local path, leading to the same error message.
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It is a client-side error. The server never receives the file when LOCAL is used.
Only if the client currently blocks LOCAL_INFILE. Most cases require fixing the path, not the variable.
No documented option exists. Provide a correct, accessible path or downgrade the client, which is not recommended.
Galaxy highlights path errors inline, stores working snippets, and lets teams endorse the corrected LOAD DATA query so everyone uses the right file path.
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