Collect Credentials

Collect Credentials

Goal

Run the authenticate.py script to collect credentials for the {{source_name}} connector. The script starts a local HTTP server that serves a browser form based on the connector spec. The user fills in their credentials in the browser and clicks Save.

Prerequisites

• connector_spec.yaml must already exist at src/databricks/labs/community_connector/sources/{{source_name}}/connector_spec.yaml
• Python 3.10+ with project dependencies installed

Output

• A JSON credentials file at a local path the user picks, outside the repo. Tests read it via CONNECTOR_TEST_CONFIG_PATH=<that path> or by inlining its contents into CONNECTOR_TEST_CONFIG_JSON.

Steps

1. Ensure the venv and dependencies are ready:

python3.10 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate && pip install -e ".[dev]"

2. Ask the user where they want the credentials saved (any local path; conventionally outside the repo, e.g. ~/secrets/{{source_name}}.json). Pass that path as -o:

source .venv/bin/activate && \
  python tools/scripts/authenticate.py -s {{source_name}} -m browser \
    -o ~/secrets/{{source_name}}.json

The -o flag is required for this skill — never write into the repo. Run the script in background (Bash with timeout: 0) because it blocks until the user submits the form.

3. Read the background Bash output to extract the URL. The script prints a line like:

→ http://localhost:9876

The port may differ from 9876 if that port is already in use.

4. Show the URL to the user via AskUserQuestion. Ask them to:

   • Open the URL in their browser
   • Fill in their credentials
   • Click Save
   • Confirm here once done

5. Wait for the user to explicitly confirm before proceeding. If the user reports an error, help them debug.

6. After confirmation, verify that the chosen output file exists. Tell the user how to point tests at it:

   CONNECTOR_TEST_CONFIG_PATH=<their chosen path> pytest tests/unit/sources/{{source_name}}/
   

Important Notes

• OAuth connectors: when connector_spec.yaml declares a connection.oauth block with an interactive flow (u2m / u2m_per_user), the script runs the OAuth 2.0 authorization-code flow instead of a plain form — the user provides their client_id + client_secret, then logs in and authorizes in the browser, and the script obtains the token automatically. The OAuth app in the source must have the script's redirect URI registered. (The script does not run the m2m client-credentials grant; for an m2m connector the user just supplies client_id + client_secret.) Otherwise the steps are identical.
• This skill is interactive — the script blocks until the user submits the browser form.
• The caller must be able to run Bash in the background and communicate with the user (e.g., via AskUserQuestion) while the script is running.
• The script automatically shuts down after the user submits the form.