MySQL raises error 76 when a boolean system option or variable is assigned an unrecognized value, forcing the setting to OFF.
MySQL Error 76: EE_INCORRECT_BOOLEAN_VALUE_FOR_OPTION occurs when a server option or SET variable expects a boolean but receives an invalid token such as "yes". Replace the value with a valid ON, OFF, 1, or 0 to resolve the error.
option '%s': boolean value '%s' was not recognized. Set to OFF. EE_INCORRECT_BOOLEAN_VALUE_FOR_OPTION was added in 8.0.13.
MySQL prints "option 'X': boolean value 'Y' was not recognized. Set to OFF" when it fails to parse a boolean literal for a server option or system variable. The message corresponds to internal code 76 and was added in version 8.0.13.
Boolean parameters only accept ON, OFF, TRUE, FALSE, 1, or 0 (case-insensitive).
Any other token is considered invalid, the option is forced to OFF, and the error is generated.
The warning appears at server startup while reading configuration files, on the command line when mysqld is launched with an invalid flag value, or at runtime when executing SET, SET PERSIST, or SET GLOBAL statements.
Client utilities such as mysqlrouter or mysqlsh that forward options to the server can also trigger the error if they pass unrecognized boolean strings.
Running with an unintended OFF state may disable critical features like binary logging, GTID, or SSL enforcement.
This can compromise replication, auditing, or security, so correcting the value is essential for a healthy production system.
Typographical errors such as 'yes', 'enable', or 'disabled' instead of ON or OFF are the most common trigger.
Copying configuration snippets from PostgreSQL or Linux services, which use lowercase 'true' and 'false', introduces non-standard tokens that MySQL does not parse.
Automation tools that interpolate environment variables sometimes leave the value empty, resulting in an empty string that MySQL flags as invalid.
Locate the option mentioned in the error message.
If it is in my.cnf, open the file, change the value to ON, OFF, 1, or 0, and restart mysqld to reload the configuration.
If the error came from a SET statement, rerun the command with a valid literal. For persistent settings, remember to sync my.cnf or use SET PERSIST.
Server fails to start because --local_infile=maybe is invalid. Edit my.cnf: local_infile = ON and restart.
Session statement SET sql_log_bin='yes' throws error 76.
Fix with SET sql_log_bin = 1.
Docker compose file passes MYSQL_GENERAL_LOG=TRUE (uppercase). MySQL accepts TRUE, so no error.
Always prefer ON/OFF to avoid ambiguity.
Use uppercase ON and OFF in configuration files to maintain consistency and readability.
Validate generated my.cnf files in CI pipelines by running mysqld --verbose --help and scanning the output for unrecognized options.
Store configuration templates in Galaxy collections so team members reuse vetted snippets instead of ad-hoc edits, reducing typo risk.
Error 79 (EE_UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_VARIABLE) appears when the variable name itself is invalid.
Check spelling or server version.
Error ER_INCORRECT_GLOBAL_LOCAL_VAR handles invalid scope. Use SET GLOBAL for server-wide variables.
Error 1238 (ER_UNKNOWN_OPTION) signals an unknown command line option. Remove or correct the flag.
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Yes, TRUE and FALSE are accepted synonyms for 1 and 0, but ON and OFF are preferred for clarity.
The server usually continues running but forces the affected option to OFF. Critical features may therefore be disabled.
The full error message prints the option name and value. Check the server error log if the startup process terminates.
Galaxy's SQL editor highlights invalid literals and offers AI-generated fixes, reducing the chance of deploying incorrect boolean values.
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