How to use Turso without embedded replicas?

[touhidurrr]

Question

So, this is my schema:

generator client {
  provider        = "prisma-client-js"
  previewFeatures = ["driverAdapters"]
}

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlite"
  url      = env("TURSO_DATABASE_URL")
}

This works with prisma generate and I can do the queries fine if the tables are already there. But when I want to migrate, this happens:

~$ bunx prisma migrate dev --name init
Environment variables loaded from .env
Prisma schema loaded from prisma\schema.prisma
Datasource "db": SQLite database

Error: Prisma schema validation - (get-config wasm)
Error code: P1012
error: Error validating datasource `db`: the URL must start with the protocol `file:`.
  -->  prisma\schema.prisma:14
   |
13 |   provider = "sqlite"
14 |   url      = env("TURSO_DATABASE_URL")        
   |

Validation Error Count: 1
[Context: getConfig]

Prisma CLI Version : 6.1.0

I want to use Turso with prisma but without embedded replicas. (As I use stateless servers with low disk limits). How can I do this?

How to reproduce (optional)

No response

Expected behavior (optional)

No response

Information about Prisma Schema, Client Queries and Environment (optional)

No response

[nurul3101]

Hello @touhidurrr 👋

To make database changes you would need to use Turso CLI as described here.

Since libSQL uses HTTP to connect to the remote database, this makes it incompatible with Prisma Migrate, which is why you are getting this error.

[touhidurrr]

@nurul3101 my goal is not to implement schema changes to the database straight from prisma here. I want prisma migrate to just emit the sql code in migration folder so that I can then feed it to the database. Note: that this is also what prisma documentation tells you to do now but the problem is to use prisma migrate, you have to have replicas enabled which is what I don't want it to use now. I want to use prisma just to query the Turso database and to emit sql code for me.

[touhidurrr]

In short what I am saying is "Give me some way to use Turso without replicas". Note that enabling replica is option using their official client library. But then again I would have to write raw sql and thats why I am using Prisma here.

[touhidurrr]

One possible solution can be:

1. Change url validation to accept libsql:// urls.
2. Add an additional field replica that accepts filepath to enable replicas.

[nurul3101]

but the problem is to use prisma migrate, you have to have replicas enabled

Prisma Migrate is currently not supported when working with Turso. This is not due to a requirement for replicas, but rather because of how Turso connects to the database.

The recommended workflow is to generate a migration file using prisma migrate dev against a local SQLite database (Not Turso) and then Applying the migration manually using Turso's CLI (To Turso database).

Change url validation to accept libsql:// urls. Add an additional field replica that accepts filepath to enable replicas.

I would recommend opening a Feature Request so that our ORM team can share their insights.

[touhidurrr]

It seems like my struggles with prisma is not going to stop anytime soon. #25939 #25948 #25932