Interview Questions

Installing a MySQL Binary Distribution

MySQL and SQL

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Installing a MySQL Binary Distribution

You need the following tools to install a MySQL binary distribution:
GNU gunzip to uncompress the distribution.
A reasonable tar to unpack the distribution. GNU tar is known to work. Sun tar is known to have problems.
An alternative installation method under Linux is to use RPM (RedHat Package Manager) distributions.


If you run into problems, PLEASE ALWAYS USE mysqlbug when posting questions to mysql@lists.mysql.com. Even if the problem isn't a bug, mysqlbug gathers system information that will help others solve your problem. By not using mysqlbug, you lessen the likelihood of getting a solution to your problem! You will find mysqlbug in the `bin' directory after you unpack the distribution.

The basic commands you must execute to install and use a MySQL binary distribution are:

shell> groupadd mysql
shell> useradd -g mysql mysql
shell> cd /usr/local
shell> gunzip < /path/to/mysql-VERSION-OS.tar.gz | tar xvf -
shell> ln -s mysql-VERSION-OS mysql
shell> cd mysql
shell> scripts/mysql_install_db
shell> chown -R mysql /usr/local/mysql
shell> chgrp -R mysql /usr/local/mysql
shell> bin/safe_mysqld --user=mysql &


You can add new users using the bin/mysql_setpermission script if you install the DBI and Msql-Mysql-modules Perl modules.
A more detailed description follows.

Pick the directory under which you want to unpack the distribution, and move into it. In the example below, we unpack the distribution under `/usr/local' and create a directory `/usr/local/mysql' into which MySQL is installed. (The following instructions therefore assume you have permission to create files in `/usr/local'. If that directory is protected, you will need to perform the installation as root.)

How to Get MySQL. MySQL binary distributions are provided as compressed tar archives and have names like `mysql-VERSION-OS.tar.gz', where VERSION is a number (for example, 3.21.15), and OS indicates the type of operating system for which the distribution is intended (for example, pc-linux-gnu-i586). Add a user and group for mysqld to run as:
shell> groupadd mysql
shell> useradd -g mysql mysql

These commands add the mysql group and the mysql user. The syntax for useradd and groupadd may differ slightly on different Unixes. They may also be called adduser and addgroup. You may wish to call the user and group something else instead of mysql.
Change into the intended installation directory:
shell> cd /usr/local>
Unpack the distribution and create the installation directory:
shell> gunzip < /path/to/mysql-VERSION-OS.tar.gz | tar xvf -
shell> ln -s mysql-VERSION-OS mysql

The first command creates a directory named `mysql-VERSION-OS'. The second command makes a symbolic link to that directory. This lets you refer more easily to the installation directory as `/usr/local/mysql'.
Change into the installation directory:
shell> cd mysql

You will find several files and subdirectories in the mysql directory. The most important for installation purposes are the `bin' and `scripts' subdirectories.
`bin'
This directory contains client programs and the server You should add the full pathname of this directory to your PATH environment variable so that your shell finds the MySQL programs properly.
`scripts'
This directory contains the mysql_install_db script used to initialize the server access permissions.
If you would like to use mysqlaccess and have the MySQL distribution in some nonstandard place, you must change the location where mysqlaccess expects to find the mysql client. Edit the `bin/mysqlaccess' script at approximately line 18. Search for a line that looks like this:
$MYSQL = '/usr/local/bin/mysql'; # path to mysql executable

Change the path to reflect the location where mysql actually is stored on your system. If you do not do this, you will get a Broken pipe error when you run mysqlaccess.
Create the MySQL grant tables (necessary only if you haven't installed MySQL before):
shell> scripts/mysql_install_db

Note that MySQL versions older than Version 3.22.10 started the MySQL server when you run mysql_install_db. This is no longer true! Change ownership of the installation directory to the user that you will run mysqld as:
shell> chown -R mysql /usr/local/mysql
shell> chgrp -R mysql /usr/local/mysql

The first command changes the owner attribute of the files to the mysql user, and the second changes the group attribute to the mysql group.
If you would like MySQL to start automatically when you boot your machine, you can copy support-files/mysql.server to the location where your system has its startup files. More information can be found in the support-files/mysql.server script itself.
After everything has been unpacked and installed, you should initialize and test your distribution.

You can start the MySQL server with the following command:

shell> bin/safe_mysqld --user=mysql &

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