EC
1193
MySQLERRORNotableConfigurationHIGH confidence

Unknown system variable

What this means

Error 1193 (SQLSTATE HY000) is returned by SET when the variable name is not recognised. This can happen due to a typo, a version mismatch (setting added or removed), or a MySQL variable not available in MariaDB (or vice versa).

Why it happens
  1. 1Typographical error in variable name (e.g. SET innodb_buffer_pool_sizes instead of innodb_buffer_pool_size)
  2. 2Variable exists in MySQL but not in MariaDB, or was added in a later version
  3. 3Variable was renamed between server versions
  4. 4Missing GLOBAL or SESSION scope qualifier in some contexts
How to reproduce

Setting a variable name that does not exist.

trigger — this will error
trigger — this will error
SET GLOBAL innodb_buffer_pool_sizes = 536870912;
-- Typo: should be innodb_buffer_pool_size

expected output

ERROR 1193 (HY000): Unknown system variable 'innodb_buffer_pool_sizes'

Fix

Check the correct variable name

WHEN Always — verify spelling and availability first.

Check the correct variable name
-- Search available variables:
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE '%buffer_pool%';

-- Then set the correct name:
SET GLOBAL innodb_buffer_pool_size = 536870912;

Why this works

SHOW VARIABLES with a LIKE pattern is the fastest way to discover available variables and their current values.

What not to do

✕ Copy SET statements from MySQL docs verbatim when using MariaDB

Some MySQL variables do not exist in MariaDB and vice versa; always verify against the server version in use.

Sources
Official documentation ↗

MariaDB Server error code 1193 / ER_UNKNOWN_SYSTEM_VARIABLE

MariaDB System Variables ↗

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