apache spark - Automatically including jars to PySpark classpath

Question

I'm trying to automatically include jars to my PySpark classpath. Right now I can type the following command and it works:

$ pyspark --jars /path/to/my.jar

I'd like to have that jar included by default so that I can only type pyspark and also use it in IPython Notebook.

I've read that I can include the argument by setting PYSPARK_SUBMIT_ARGS in env:

export PYSPARK_SUBMIT_ARGS="--jars /path/to/my.jar"

Unfortunately the above doesn't work. I get the runtime error Failed to load class for data source.

Running Spark 1.3.1.

Edit

My workaround when using IPython Notebook is the following:

$ IPYTHON_OPTS="notebook" pyspark --jars /path/to/my.jar

Answer 1

You can add the jar files in the spark-defaults.conf file (located in the conf folder of your spark installation). If there is more than one entry in the jars list, use : as separator.

spark.driver.extraClassPath /path/to/my.jar

This property is documented in https://spark.apache.org/docs/1.3.1/configuration.html#runtime-environment