# Authentication

> Comprehensive guide for authenticating Synnax clients.

This guide covers all authentication methods and connection parameters for the Synnax clients. If you’re looking for a quick start, check out the [Quick start](https://docs.synnaxlabs.com/reference/client/quick-start) guide instead.

## Authentication methods

There are three ways to authenticate with a Synnax Core: using the CLI to permanently store your credentials, passing your credentials directly to the client, or configuring environment variables.

* For instructions on direct authentication, see [Create a Client](https://docs.synnaxlabs.com/reference/client/quick-start#create-a-client).
* CLI authentication is only supported in the Python client.

| Parameter  | Description                        |
| ---------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `host`     | The hostname of the Synnax Core    |
| `port`     | The port of the Synnax Core        |
| `username` | The username to authenticate with  |
| `password` | The password to authenticate with. |
| `secure`   | Whether to use TLS encryption.     |

### CLI authentication (Python only)

The easiest way to authenticate with a Core is with the `login` command. This will permanently store your credentials in the operating system’s keychain.

**This method is highly recommended**, as it makes it easy to share scripts without accidentally revealing credentials.

In the terminal, run the following command:

```bash
sy login
```

> If you get the error `command not found`, see our [troubleshooting guide](https://docs.synnaxlabs.com/reference/client/troubleshooting#synnax-command-not-found).

The CLI will prompt for additional information:

```plaintext
Enter your Synnax connection parameters:
Host (localhost): # YOUR HOST
Port (9090): # YOUR PORT
Username (synnax): # YOUR USERNAME
Password: # YOUR PASSWORD
Secure connection? (y/n) (n):
```

You should then see the following message:

```plaintext
Saved credentials. You can now use the Synnax Client
without having to log in. To connect to the Core in a Python shell, use the following:

from synnax import Synnax
client = Synnax()
```

### Environment variables

You can store your connection parameters as environment variables to keep them out of your code. This is useful for production deployments or when working with multiple environments.

#### Setting environment variables

Select your operating system below to see how to set environment variables:

**Linux**

```bash
export SYNNAX_HOST="localhost"
export SYNNAX_PORT="9090"
export SYNNAX_USERNAME="synnax"
export SYNNAX_PASSWORD="seldon"
export SYNNAX_SECURE="false"
```

**Windows**

**PowerShell:**

```powershell
$env:SYNNAX_HOST="localhost"
$env:SYNNAX_PORT="9090"
$env:SYNNAX_USERNAME="synnax"
$env:SYNNAX_PASSWORD="seldon"
$env:SYNNAX_SECURE="false"
```

**Command Prompt:**

```cmd
set SYNNAX_HOST=localhost
set SYNNAX_PORT=9090
set SYNNAX_USERNAME=synnax
set SYNNAX_PASSWORD=seldon
set SYNNAX_SECURE=false
```

**macOS**

```bash
export SYNNAX_HOST="localhost"
export SYNNAX_PORT="9090"
export SYNNAX_USERNAME="synnax"
export SYNNAX_PASSWORD="seldon"
export SYNNAX_SECURE="false"
```

#### Using environment variables in code

**Python**

```python
import os
import synnax as sy

client = sy.Synnax(
    host=os.environ["SYNNAX_HOST"],
    port=int(os.environ["SYNNAX_PORT"]),
    username=os.environ["SYNNAX_USERNAME"],
    password=os.environ["SYNNAX_PASSWORD"],
    secure=os.environ.get("SYNNAX_SECURE", "false").lower() == "true"
)
```

**TypeScript**

```typescript
import { Synnax } from "@synnaxlabs/client";

const client = new Synnax({
  host: process.env.SYNNAX_HOST!,
  port: parseInt(process.env.SYNNAX_PORT ?? "9090"),
  username: process.env.SYNNAX_USERNAME!,
  password: process.env.SYNNAX_PASSWORD!,
  secure: process.env.SYNNAX_SECURE === "true",
});
```