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Baselinr Installation Guide

Prerequisites​

Before installing Baselinr, ensure you have:

  • Python 3.10 or higher

    python --version  # Should be 3.10+

  • pip (Python package manager)

    pip --version

  • Docker and Docker Compose (optional, for development environment)

    docker --version
    docker-compose --version

Installation Options​

Option 1: Basic Installation (PostgreSQL Only)​

For profiling PostgreSQL databases:

cd profile_mesh
pip install -e .

This installs:

  • Core Baselinr
  • PostgreSQL support
  • SQLite support
  • Configuration management
  • CLI interface

Option 2: With Dagster Orchestration​

For Dagster integration:

pip install -e ".[dagster]"

Adds:

  • Dagster asset factory
  • Job scheduling
  • Web UI
  • Event emission

Option 3: With Snowflake Support​

For Snowflake data warehouses:

pip install -e ".[snowflake]"

Adds:

  • Snowflake connector
  • Snowflake-specific optimizations

Install everything:

pip install -e ".[all,dev]"

Includes:

  • All database connectors
  • Dagster integration
  • Development tools (pytest, black, mypy)
  • Full feature set

Verify Installation​

After installation, verify Baselinr is working:

# Check CLI is available
baselinr --help

# Check Python import
python -c "from baselinr import __version__; print(__version__)"

You should see:

Baselinr - Data profiling and drift detection
...

Post-Installation Setup​

1. Set Up Development Database (Optional)​

Start the Docker environment with PostgreSQL and Dagster:

cd profile_mesh
make docker-up

Wait about 30 seconds for initialization, then verify:

# Check PostgreSQL
docker exec -it baselinr_postgres psql -U baselinr -d baselinr -c "\dt"

# Check Dagster UI
# Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser

2. Create Configuration​

Copy the example configuration:

cp examples/config.yml my_config.yml

Edit my_config.yml with your database credentials:

source:
  type: postgres  # or snowflake, sqlite
  host: your-database-host
  port: 5432
  database: your-database
  username: your-username
  password: your-password

3. Run First Profile​

baselinr profile --config my_config.yml

Troubleshooting​

"Command not found: baselinr"​

The CLI wasn't installed correctly. Try:

pip install --force-reinstall -e .

Or use the Python module directly:

python -m baselinr.cli profile --config config.yml

"ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'baselinr'"​

The package isn't in your Python path. Make sure you're in the profile_mesh directory and run:

pip install -e .

"Connection refused" with Docker​

Docker containers may not be ready:

# Check container status
docker ps

# View logs
cd docker && docker-compose logs postgres

# Restart containers
make docker-down
make docker-up

"pydantic.errors.ValidationError"​

Your configuration file has errors. Check:

  • YAML syntax (indentation)
  • Required fields are present
  • Database type is valid (postgres, snowflake, sqlite)

Run with debug logging:

python -c "
import logging
logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)
from baselinr.config.loader import ConfigLoader
ConfigLoader.load_from_file('my_config.yml')
"

Snowflake Connection Issues​

Make sure you have the Snowflake connector installed:

pip install -e ".[snowflake]"

Verify your Snowflake config includes:

  • account
  • warehouse
  • role (optional but recommended)

Permission Errors (Windows)​

If you get permission errors installing:

# Run PowerShell as Administrator, or use --user flag
pip install --user -e .

Environment Variables​

Baselinr supports environment variable overrides:

# Set environment-specific values
export BASELINR_SOURCE__HOST=prod-server.example.com
export BASELINR_SOURCE__PASSWORD=secret_password
export BASELINR_ENVIRONMENT=production

# Run with overrides
baselinr profile --config config.yml

Upgrading​

To upgrade to a newer version:

cd profile_mesh
git pull  # If using git
pip install --upgrade -e ".[all]"

Uninstalling​

To remove Baselinr:

pip uninstall baselinr

# Also remove Docker environment if you set it up
cd docker
docker-compose down -v  # -v removes volumes

Next Steps​

After successful installation:

  1. Read QUICKSTART.md for a guided tutorial
  2. Run the quickstart example: python examples/quickstart.py
  3. Check the README.md for full documentation
  4. Explore Dagster integration at http://localhost:3000 (if using Docker)

Getting Help​

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check this troubleshooting section
  2. Review the error message carefully
  3. Check Docker logs: docker-compose logs
  4. Verify your configuration file
  5. Try the SQLite example first (no external database needed)

System Requirements​

Minimum​

  • Python 3.10+
  • 100 MB disk space
  • 512 MB RAM
  • Python 3.11+
  • 500 MB disk space (with Docker images)
  • 2 GB RAM (for Dagster)
  • Docker Desktop (for development)

Platform Support​

Baselinr is tested on:

  • ✅ Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+)
  • ✅ macOS (11+)
  • ✅ Windows 10/11 (with WSL2 recommended for Docker)

For more information, see: