How-to: launch aichat

[sualeh]

Discussed in schemacrawler/SchemaCrawler#1999

^{Originally posted by mattgagliardi August 9, 2025}
Can anyone provide a brief step-by-step for running the aichat option? I've tried to get it working with multiple Docker containers as well as the installed Windows package...unfortunately the only output I seem to end up with is Error: Unknown command <aichat>. I've successfully connected to my DB with both Docker Compose setups and via the interactive shell...I feel like I kinda "get" what to do, which is why I'm really mystified here. TIA!

Have attempted this with:

• SchemaCrawler 16.26.3 (installed on Windows)
• schemacrawler/schemacrawler:early-access-release
• schemacrawler/schemacrawler-ai:early-access-release

My Docker Compose is:

services:

  schemacrawler:
    image: schemacrawler/schemacrawler:early-access-release
    stdin_open: true
    tty: true
    environment:
      OPENAI_API_KEY: "<valid_key>"
    volumes:
    - type: bind
      source: C:\Users\mattg\Documents\schcrwlr
      target: /home/schcrwlr
    entrypoint: [ '/opt/schemacrawler/bin/schemacrawler.sh' ]
    command: >
      --url 'jdbc:sqlserver://server-716.lan;instanceName=SQLSTD;databaseName=database1;encrypt=false'
      --user sa
      --password '<valid_pw>'
      --info-level standard
      --command aichat
      --log-level WARNING

[mattgagliardi]

Thank you @sualeh , I can just use the MCP. FWIW there’s a page in the docs that mention aichat and I just fell down a rabbit hole trying to make it work 😀

[sualeh]

@mattgagliardi This issue is fixed now. You can use the early access release with aichat. A release will be cmoing soon.

docker run -it --rm --name schemacrawler-aichat -e "OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-etc-etc-etc" schemacrawler/schemacrawler-ai:early-access-release /opt/schemacrawler/bin/schemacrawler.sh --server sqlite --database sc.db --command aichat --info-level standard

Please let me know if this works for you.

[mattgagliardi]

Yup, can confirm it now works in both Docker and Podman. Thanks!