From b9475cdf7f45322ae0cf00264e2db490e53c0aef Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Chris Lu <chris.lu@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:17:24 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Document both ways to create a Lance table bucket

The shell command against a running cluster, and weed mini -tableBucket at
startup, which takes name[:FORMAT] entries and also reads S3_TABLE_BUCKET.
Notes that mini skips a bucket in a format it does not serve rather than
creating one nothing can reach.
---
 LanceDB-Integration.md      |  6 ++++++
 S3-Table-Bucket-Commands.md |  4 ++++
 SeaweedFS-Lance-Catalog.md  | 22 ++++++++++++++++++++++
 Spark-Lance-Integration.md  |  4 +++-
 4 files changed, 35 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/LanceDB-Integration.md b/LanceDB-Integration.md
index 99e8c91..291b0e5 100644
--- a/LanceDB-Integration.md
+++ b/LanceDB-Integration.md
@@ -17,6 +17,12 @@ weed shell
 > s3tables.bucket -create -name vectors -format LANCE -account 000000000000
 ```
 
+Or pre-create it at startup, which is one line instead of two:
+
+```bash
+weed mini -tableBucket=vectors:LANCE
+```
+
 ## 3. Connect
 
 ```python
diff --git a/S3-Table-Bucket-Commands.md b/S3-Table-Bucket-Commands.md
index 3338a8b..b91797f 100644
--- a/S3-Table-Bucket-Commands.md
+++ b/S3-Table-Bucket-Commands.md
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ curl -X POST $S3_ENDPOINT/ \
 >
 > From the shell: `s3tables.bucket -create -name vectors -format LANCE -account 000000000000`
 >
+> At startup: `weed mini -tableBucket=vectors:LANCE` pre-creates buckets before
+> anything connects, each entry `name[:FORMAT]` with an unsuffixed name meaning
+> ICEBERG. The same list can come from `S3_TABLE_BUCKET`.
+>
 > Buckets created before this field existed carry no declaration and keep
 > accepting either format. See [[SeaweedFS Lance Catalog]].
 
diff --git a/SeaweedFS-Lance-Catalog.md b/SeaweedFS-Lance-Catalog.md
index b506c15..56c23cf 100644
--- a/SeaweedFS-Lance-Catalog.md
+++ b/SeaweedFS-Lance-Catalog.md
@@ -39,11 +39,33 @@ or `weed mini`, which starts the Lance namespace along with everything else.
 
 ### 2. Create a Lance table bucket
 
+Two ways, depending on whether the cluster is already running.
+
+**From the shell**, against a running cluster:
+
 ```bash
 weed shell
 > s3tables.bucket -create -name vectors -format LANCE -account 000000000000
 ```
 
+**At startup**, with `weed mini -tableBucket`, which pre-creates buckets before
+anything connects. Each entry is `name[:FORMAT]`, and an unsuffixed name means
+`ICEBERG`:
+
+```bash
+weed mini -tableBucket=vectors:LANCE
+
+# several at once, in either format
+weed mini -tableBucket=warehouse,vectors:LANCE
+```
+
+The same list can come from the `S3_TABLE_BUCKET` environment variable, which is
+how the Docker images take it.
+
+mini will not create a bucket in a format it does not serve — a `:LANCE` entry
+with the Lance namespace disabled is skipped with a warning rather than made
+unreachable — so keep `-s3.port.lance` enabled (it is, by default).
+
 A bucket holds one format. Declaring `LANCE` means the catalog refuses an Iceberg table in it, and the reverse. Buckets created before formats were declared carry none and keep accepting either.
 
 ### 3. Use it
diff --git a/Spark-Lance-Integration.md b/Spark-Lance-Integration.md
index 39e0526..68619ac 100644
--- a/Spark-Lance-Integration.md
+++ b/Spark-Lance-Integration.md
@@ -10,13 +10,15 @@ the integration suite in `test/s3tables/catalog_spark_lance/`.
 ## Prerequisites
 
 - SeaweedFS with the Lance Namespace enabled: `weed server -s3 -s3.port.lance=9101`
-- A table bucket declared `LANCE`:
+- A table bucket declared `LANCE`, made either from the shell:
 
   ```bash
   weed shell
   > s3tables.bucket -create -name vectors -format LANCE -account 000000000000
   ```
 
+  or at startup, with `weed mini -tableBucket=vectors:LANCE`.
+
 ## Configuration
 
 ### PySpark