MySQL in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition

The mysql Client

There are various methods of interacting with the MySQL server to develop or work with a MySQL database. The most basic interface that you can use is the mysql client. With it, you can interact with the server from either the command line or within an interface environment.

If MySQL was installed properly on your server, mysql should be available for use. If not, see Chapter 2. On Unix-based systems, you can type whereis mysql. Windows, Macintosh, and other GUI-type systems have a program location utility for finding a program. If you used the default installation method, the mysql program probably resides at /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql. On Unix systems, if /usr/local/mysql/bin/ is in your default path (the PATH environment variable), you can specify mysql without the full pathname. If the directory is not in your path, you can add it by entering:

PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/mysql/bin
export PATH

Assuming that everything is working, you will need a MySQL username and password. If you’re not the administrator, you must obtain these from her. If MySQL was just installed and the root password is not set yet, its password is blank. To learn how to set the root password and to create new users and grant them privileges, see Chapter 2 for starting points and Chapter 4 for more advanced details.

From a shell prompt, log in to MySQL like this:

mysql -h host -u user -p

If you’re logging in locally—that is, from the server itself—either physically or through a remote login method, such ...