Ubuntu Manpage: mysql_install_db - initialize MySQL data directory

Provided by: mysql-server-core-5.6_5.6.33-0ubuntu0.14.04.1_amd64

NAME

       mysql_install_db - initialize MySQL data directory

SYNOPSIS

       mysql_install_db [options]

DESCRIPTION

mysql_install_db initializes the MySQL data directory and creates the system tables that it contains, if
they do not exist. It also initializes the system tablespace and related data structures needed to manage
InnoDB tables. As of MySQL 5.6.8, mysql_install_db is a Perl script and can be used on any system with
Perl installed. Before 5.6.8, it is a shell script and is available only on Unix platforms.

As of MySQL 5.6.8, on Unix platforms, 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.

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 5.1.7, “Server SQL Modes”.

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
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 or --datadir if mysql_install_db does not use the correct
locations for the installation directory or data directory. For example:

shell> scripts/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).

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 used by MySQL
programs, see Section 4.2.6, “Using Option Files”.

• --help

Display a help message and exit.

• --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.

• --datadir=dir_name

The path to the MySQL data directory. Beginning with MySQL 5.6.8, mysql_install_db is more strict
about the option value. 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.

• --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.

• --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 5.6.20.

• --ldata=dir_name

A synonym for --datadir.

• --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.

• --random-passwords

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 sets the “password expired” flag 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.

If .mysql_secret already exists, the new password information is appended to it. Each password
entry includes a timestamp so that in the event of multiple install operations it is possible to
determine the password associated with each one.

.mysql_secret is created with mode 600 to be accessible only to the system user for whom it is
created.

• 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 RPM install operations (not upgrades) 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.)

As of MySQL 5.6.9, new Solaris PKG install operations (not upgrades) invoke mysql_install_db with the
--random-passwords option.

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.

This option was added in MySQL 5.6.8.

• --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=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

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.

• --verbose

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

• --windows

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

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright © 1997, 2016, 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()

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