mysql_install_db — Initialize MySQL Data Directory

4.4.6 mysql_install_db — Initialize MySQL Data Directory

mysql_install_db initializes the MySQL data directory and creates the system tables that it contains, if they do not exist. mysql_install_db is a shell script and is available only on Unix platforms.

To invoke mysql_install_db, use the following syntax:

shell> mysql_install_db [options]

Because the MySQL server, mysqld, must access the data directory when it runs later, you should either runmysql_install_db from the same system account that will be used for running mysqld or run it as root and use the --user option to indicate the user name that mysqld will run as. It might be necessary to specify other options such as --basedir or --datadir if mysql_install_db does not use the correct locations for the installation directory or data directory. For example:

shell> bin/mysql_install_db --user=mysql \
         --basedir=/opt/mysql/mysql \
         --datadir=/opt/mysql/mysql/data

mysql_install_db needs to invoke mysqld with the --bootstrap and --skip-grant-tables options. If MySQL was configured with the --disable-grant-options configuration option, --bootstrap and --skip-grant-tables will be disabled (see Section 2.17.3, “MySQL Source-Configuration Options”). To handle this, set theMYSQLD_BOOTSTRAP environment variable to the full path name of a server that has all options enabled.mysql_install_db will use that server.

mysql_install_db supports the following options, which can be specified on the command line or in the[mysql_install_db] group of an option file. (Options that are common to mysqld can also be specified in the[mysqld] group.) Other options are passed to mysqld. For information about option files, see Section 4.2.3.3, “Using Option Files”. mysql_install_db also supports the options for processing option files described atSection 4.2.3.4, “Command-Line Options that Affect Option-File Handling”.

•  --help

  Display a help message and exit.

•  --basedir=path

  The path to the MySQL installation directory.

•  --builddir=path

  For use with --srcdir and out-of-source builds. Set this to the location of the directory where the built files reside.

•  --cross-bootstrap

  For internal use. This option is used for building system tables on one host intended for another.

•  --datadir=path, --ldata=path

  The path to the MySQL data directory.

•  --defaults-extra-file=file_name

  Read this option file after the global option file but (on Unix) before the user option file. If the file does not exist or is otherwise inaccessible, an error occurs. file_name is interpreted relative to the current directory if given as a relative path name rather than a full path name.

•  --defaults-file=file_name

  Use only the given option file. If the file does not exist or is otherwise inaccessible, an error occurs. file_name is interpreted relative to the current directory if given as a relative path name rather than a full path name.

•  --force

  Cause mysql_install_db to run even if DNS does not work. Grant table entries normally created using host names will use IP addresses instead.

•  --no-defaults

  Do not read any option files. If program startup fails due to reading unknown options from an option file, --no-defaults can be used to prevent them from being read.

•  --rpm

  For internal use. This option is used during the MySQL installation process for install operations performed using RPM packages.

•  --skip-name-resolve

  Use IP addresses rather than host names when creating grant table entries. This option can be useful if your DNS does not work.

•  --srcdir=path

  For internal use. This option specifies the directory under which mysql_install_db looks for support files such as the error message file and the file for populating the help tables. This option was added in MySQL 5.0.32.

•  --user=user_name

  The system (login) user name to use for running mysqld. Files and directories created by mysqld will be owned by this user. You must be root to use this option. By default, mysqld runs using your current login name and files and directories that it creates will be owned by you.

•  --verbose

  Verbose mode. Print more information about what the program does.

•  --windows

  For internal use. This option is used for creating Windows distributions.