Ubuntu Manpage: mysql_install_db - initialize MySQL data directory

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Provided by: percona-xtradb-cluster-server-5.7_5.7.20-29.24-0ubuntu2.1_amd64

NAME

       mysql_install_db - initialize MySQL data directory

SYNOPSIS

       mysql_install_db [options]

DESCRIPTION

Note
mysql_install_db is deprecated as of MySQL 5.7.6 because its functionality has been integrated into
mysqld, the MySQL server. To initialize a MySQL installation, invoke mysqld with the --initialize or
--initialize-insecure option. For more information, see Section 2.10.1.1, “Initializing the Data
Directory Manually Using mysqld”. mysql_install_db will be removed in a future MySQL release.

mysql_install_db handles initialization tasks that must be performed before the MySQL server, mysqld, is
ready to use:

• It initializes the MySQL data directory and creates the system tables that it contains.

• It initializes the system tablespace and related data structures needed to manage InnoDB tables.

• It loads the server-side help tables.

• It installs the sys schema.

• It creates an administrative account. Older versions of mysql_install_db may create anonymous-user
accounts.

Before MySQL 5.7.5, mysql_install_db is a Perl script and requires that Perl be installed. As of 5.7.5,
mysql_install_db is written in C++ and supplied in binary distributions as an executable binary. In
addition, a number of new options were added and old options removed. If you find that an option does not
work as you expect, be sure to check which options apply in your version of mysql_install_db (invoke it
with the --help option). Secure-by-Default Deployment.PP Current versions of mysql_install_db produce a
MySQL deployment that is secure by default. It is recommended that you use mysql_install_db from MySQL
5.7.5 or up for best security, but version-dependent information about security characteristics is
included here for completeness (secure-by-default deployment was introduced in stages in MySQL 5.7).

MySQL 5.7.5 and up is secure by default, with these characteristics:

• A single administrative account named 'root'@'localhost' is created with a randomly generated
password, which is marked expired.

• No anonymous-user accounts are created.

• No test database accessible by all users is created.

• --admin-xxx options are available to control characteristics of the administrative account.

• The --random-password-file option is available to control where the random password is written.

• The --insecure option is available to suppress random password generation.

MySQL 5.7.4 is secure by default, with these characteristics:

• A single administrative account named 'root'@'localhost' is created with a randomly generated
password, which is marked expired.

• No anonymous-user accounts are created.

• No test database accessible by all users is created.

• The --skip-random-passwords option is available to suppress random password generation, and to create
a test database.

MySQL 5.7.3 and earlier are not secure by default, with these characteristics:

• Multiple administrative root accounts are created with no password.

• Anonymous-user accounts are created.

• A test database accessible by all users is created.

• The --random-passwords option is available to generate random passwords for administrative accounts
and mark them expired, and to not create anonymous-user accounts.

If mysql_install_db generates a random administative password, it writes the password to a file and
displays the file name. The password entry includes a timestamp to indicate when it was written. By
default, the file is .mysql_secret in the home directory of the effective user running the script.
.mysql_secret is created with mode 600 to be accessible only to the system user for whom it is created.

Important
When mysql_install_db generates a random password for the administrative account, it is necessary
after mysql_install_db has been run to start the server, connect using the administrative account
with the password written to the .mysql_secret file, and specify a new administrative password. Until
this is done, the administrative account cannot be used for anything else. To change the password,
you can use the SET PASSWORD statement (for example, with the mysql or mysqladmin client). After
resetting the password, remove the .mysql_secret file; otherwise, if you run
mysql_secure_installation, that command may see the file and expire the root password again as part
of ensuring secure deployment.
Invocation Syntax.PP Several changes to mysql_install_db were made in MySQL 5.7.5 that affect the
invocation syntax. Change location to the MySQL installation directory and use the command appropriate to
your version of MySQL:

• Invocation syntax for MySQL 5.7.5 and up:

shell> bin/mysql_install_db --datadir=path/to/datadir [other_options]

The --datadir option is mandatory. mysql_install_db creates the data directory, which must not
already exist:

• If the data directory does already exist, you are performing an upgrade operation (not an install
operation) and should run mysql_upgrade, not mysql_install_db. See mysql_upgrade(1).

• If the data directory does not exist but mysql_install_db fails, you must remove any partially
created data directory before running mysql_install_db again.

• Invocation syntax before MySQL 5.7.5:

shell> scripts/mysql_install_db [options]

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

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

Note
After mysql_install_db sets up the InnoDB system tablespace, changes to some tablespace
characteristics require setting up a whole new instance. This includes the file name of the first
file in the system tablespace and the number of undo logs. If you do not want to use the default
values, make sure that the settings for the innodb_data_file_path and innodb_log_file_size
configuration parameters are in place in the MySQL configuration file before running
mysql_install_db. Also make sure to specify as necessary other parameters that affect the creation
and location of InnoDB files, such as innodb_data_home_dir and innodb_log_group_home_dir.

If those options are in your configuration file but that file is not in a location that MySQL reads
by default, specify the file location using the --defaults-extra-file option when you run
mysql_install_db.

Note
If you have set a custom TMPDIR environment variable when performing the installation, and the
specified directory is not accessible, mysql_install_db may fail. If so, unset TMPDIR or set TMPDIR
to point to the system temporary directory (usually /tmp).
Administrative Account Creation.PP mysql_install_db creates an administrative account named
'root'@'localhost' by default. (Before MySQL 5.7.4, mysql_install_db creates additional root accounts,
such as 'root'@'127.0.0.1'. This is no longer done.)

As of MySQL 5.7.5, mysql_install_db provides options that enable you to control several aspects of the
administrative account:

• To change the user or host parts of the account name, use --login-path, or --admin-user and
--admin-host.

• --insecure suppresses generation of a random password.

• --admin-auth-plugin specifies the authentication plugin.

• --admin-require-ssl specifies whether the account must use SSL connections.

For more information, see the descriptions of those options.

mysql_install_db assigns user table rows a nonempty plugin column value to set the authentication plugin.
The default value is mysql_native_password. The value can be changed using the --admin-auth-plugin option
in MySQL 5.7.5 and up (as noted previously), or by setting the default_authentication_plugin system
variable in MySQL 5.7.2 to 5.7.4. Default my.cnf File.PP As of MySQL 5.7.5, mysql_install_db creates no
default my.cnf file.

Before MySQL 5.7.5, mysql_install_db creates a default option file named my.cnf in the base installation
directory. This file is created from a template included in the distribution package named
my-default.cnf. You can find the template in or under the base installation directory. When started using
mysqld_safe, the server uses my.cnf file by default. If my.cnf already exists, mysql_install_db assumes
it to be in use and writes a new file named my-new.cnf instead.

Note
As of MySQL 5.7.18, my-default.cnf is no longer included in or installed by distribution packages.

With one exception, the settings in the default option file are commented and have no effect. The
exception is that the file sets the sql_mode system variable to
NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION,STRICT_TRANS_TABLES. This setting produces a server configuration that results in
errors rather than warnings for bad data in operations that modify transactional tables. See
Section 5.1.8, “Server SQL Modes”. Command Options.PP 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. For
information about option files used by MySQL programs, see Section 4.2.6, “Using Option Files”.

Before MySQL 5.7.5, mysql_install_db passes unrecognized options to mysqld.

• --help, -?

Display a help message and exit.

The -? form of this option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --admin-auth-plugin=plugin_name

The authentication plugin to use for the administrative account. The default is
mysql_native_password.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --admin-host=host_name

The host part to use for the adminstrative account name. The default is localhost. This option is
ignored if --login-path is also specified.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --admin-require-ssl

Whether to require SSL for the administrative account. The default is not to require it. With this
option enabled, the statement that mysql_install_db uses to create the account includes a REQUIRE SSL
clause. As a result, the administrative account must use secure connections when connecting to the
server.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --admin-user=user_name

The user part to use for the adminstrative account name. The default is root. This option is ignored
if --login-path is also specified.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --basedir=dir_name

The path to the MySQL installation directory.

• --builddir=dir_name

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.

This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --datadir=dir_name

The path to the MySQL data directory. Only the last component of the path name is created if it does
not exist; the parent directory must already exist or an error occurs.

Note
As of MySQL 5.7.5, the --datadir option is mandatory and the data directory must not already
exist. (It remains true that the parent directory must exist.)

• --defaults

This option causes mysql_install_db to invoke mysqld in such a way that it reads option files from
the default locations. If given as --no-defaults, and --defaults-file or --defaults-extra-file is not
also specified, mysql_install_db passes --no-defaults to mysqld, to prevent option files from being
read. This may help if program startup fails due to reading unknown options from an option file.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5. (Before 5.7.5, only the --no-defaults variant was supported.)

• --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.

This option is passed by mysql_install_db to mysqld.

• --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.

This option is passed by mysql_install_db to mysqld.

• --extra-sql-file=file_name, -f file_name

This option names a file containing additional SQL statements to be executed after the standard
bootstrapping statements. Accepted statement syntax in the file is like that of the mysql
command-line client, including support for multiple-line C-style comments and delimiter handling to
enable definition of stored programs.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --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.

This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --insecure

Do not generate a random password for the adminstrative account.

Note
The --insecure option was added in MySQL 5.7.5, replacing the --skip-random-passwords option.
If --insecure is not given, it is necessary after mysql_install_db has been run to start the server,
connect using the administrative account with the password written to the .mysql_secret file, and
specify a new administrative password. Until this is done, the administrative account cannot be used
for anything else. To change the password, you can use the SET PASSWORD statement (for example, with
the mysql or mysqladmin client). After resetting the password, remove the .mysql_secret file;
otherwise, if you run mysql_secure_installation, that command may see the file and expire the root
password again as part of ensuring secure deployment.

• --keep-my-cnf

Tell mysql_install_db to preserve any existing my.cnf file and not create a new default my.cnf file.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.4 and removed in 5.7.5. As of 5.7.5, mysql_install_db does not
create a default my.cnf file.

• --lc-messages=name

The locale to use for error messages. The default is en_US. The argument is converted to a language
name and combined with the value of --lc-messages-dir to produce the location for the error message
file. See Section 10.2, “Setting the Error Message Language”.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --lc-messages-dir=dir_name

The directory where error messages are located. The value is used together with the value of
--lc-messages to produce the location for the error message file. See Section 10.2, “Setting the
Error Message Language”.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --ldata=dir_name

A synonym for --datadir.

This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --login-file=file_name

The file from which to read the login path if the --login-path=file_name option is specified. The
default file is .mylogin.cnf.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --login-path=name

Read options from the named login path in the .mylogin.cnf login path file. The default login path is
client. (To read a different file, use the --login-file=name option.) A “login path” is an option
group containing options that specify which MySQL server to connect to and which account to
authenticate as. To create or modify a login path file, use the mysql_config_editor utility. See
mysql_config_editor(1).

If the --login-path option is specified, the user, host, and password values are taken from the login
path and used to create the administrative account. The password must be defined in the login path or
an error occurs, unless the --insecure option is also specified. In addition, with --login-path, any
--admin-host and --admin-user options are ignored.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --mysqld-file=file_name

The path name of the mysqld binary to execute. The option value must be an absolute path name or an
error occurs.

If this option is not given, mysql_install_db searches for mysqld in these locations:

• In the bin directory under the --basedir option value, if that option was given.

• In the bin directory under the --srcdir option value, if that option was given.

• In the bin directory under the --builddir option value, if that option was given.

• In the local directory and in the bin and sbin directories under the local directory.

• In /usr/bin, /usr/sbin, /usr/local/bin, /usr/local/sbin, /opt/local/bin, /opt/local/sbin.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --no-defaults

Before MySQL 5.7.5, 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. For behavior
of this option as of MySQL 5.7.5, see the description of --defaults.

• --random-password-file=file_name

The path name of the file in which to write the randomly generated password for the administrative
account. The option value must be an absolute path name or an error occurs. The default is
$HOME/.mysql_secret.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --random-passwords

Note
This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.4 and replaced with --skip-random-passwords, which was in
turn removed in MySQL 5.7.5 and replaced with --insecure.
On Unix platforms, this option provides for more secure MySQL installation. Invoking mysql_install_db
with --random-passwords causes it to perform the following actions in addition to its normal
operation:

• The installation process creates a random password, assigns it to the initial MySQL root
accounts, and marks the password expired for those accounts.

• The initial random root password is written to the .mysql_secret file in the directory named by
the HOME environment variable. Depending on operating system, using a command such as sudo may
cause the value of HOME to refer to the home directory of the root system user. .mysql_secret is
created with mode 600 to be accessible only to the system user for whom it is created.

If .mysql_secret already exists, the new password information is appended to it. Each password
entry includes a timestamp to indicate when it was written.

• No anonymous-user MySQL accounts are created.

As a result of these actions, it is necessary after installation to start the server, connect as root
using the password written to the .mysql_secret file, and specify a new root password. Until this is
done, root cannot do anything else. This must be done for each root account you intend to use. To
change the password, you can use the SET PASSWORD statement (for example, with the mysql client). You
can also use mysqladmin or mysql_secure_installation.

New install operations (not upgrades) using RPM packages and Solaris PKG packages invoke
mysql_install_db with the --random-passwords option. (Install operations using RPMs for Unbreakable
Linux Network are unaffected because they do not use mysql_install_db.)

For install operations using a binary .tar.gz distribution or a source distribution, you can invoke
mysql_install_db with the --random-passwords option manually to make your MySQL installation more
secure. This is recommended, particularly for sites with sensitive data.

• --rpm

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

This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --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.

This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --skip-random-passwords

Note
The --skip-random-passwords option was added in MySQL 5.7.4, replacing the --random-passwords
option. --skip-random-passwords was in turn removed in MySQL 5.7.5 and replaced with --insecure.
As of MySQL 5.7.4, MySQL deployments produced using mysql_install_db are secure by default. When
invoked without the --skip-random-passwords option, mysql_install_db uses these default deployment
characteristics:

• The installation process creates a single root account, 'root'@'localhost', automatically
generates a random password for this account, and marks the password expired.

• The initial random root password is written to the .mysql_secret file in the home directory of
the effective user running the script. .mysql_secret is created with mode 600 to be accessible
only to the system user for whom it is created.

If .mysql_secret already exists, the new password information is appended to it. Each password
entry includes a timestamp to indicate when it was written.

• No anonymous-user MySQL accounts are created.

• No test database is created.

As a result of these actions, it is necessary after installation to start the server, connect as root
using the password written to the .mysql_secret file, and specify a new root password. Until this is
done, the administrative account cannot be used for anything else. To change the password, you can
use the SET PASSWORD statement (for example, with the mysql client). You can also use mysqladmin or
mysql_secure_installation.

To produce a MySQL deployment that is not secure by default, you must explicitly specify the
--skip-random-passwords option when you invoke mysql_install_db. With this option, mysql_install_db
performs the following actions:

• No random password is generated for the 'root'@'localhost' account.

• A test database is created that is accessible by any user.

• --skip-sys-schema

As of MySQL 5.7.7, mysql_install_db installs the sys schema. The --skip-sys-schema option suppresses
this behavior. This option was added in MySQL 5.7.7.

• --srcdir=dir_name

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.

• --user=user_name, -u 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 the system root user 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.

The -u form of this option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --verbose, -v

Verbose mode. Print more information about what the program does. You can use this option to see the
mysqld command that mysql_install_db invokes to start the server in bootstrap mode.

The -v form of this option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --version, -V

Display version information and exit.

This option was added in MySQL 5.7.5.

• --windows

For internal use. This option is used for creating Windows distributions. It is a deprecated alias
for --cross-bootstrap

This option was removed in MySQL 5.7.5.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 1997, 2017, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

       This documentation is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it only under the terms of the
       GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; version 2 of the License.

       This documentation is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
       even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General
       Public License for more details.

       You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with the program; if not, write
       to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA or see
       http://www.gnu.org/licenses/.

AUTHOR

       Oracle Corporation (http://dev.mysql.com/).

                                                                                              MYSQL_INSTALL_DB()

NAME

SYNOPSIS

DESCRIPTION

COPYRIGHT

SEE ALSO

AUTHOR