•Test framework plugins test server services. For information about these plugins, see the Plugins for Testing Plugin Services section of the MySQL Server Doxygen documentation, available at https:// dev.mysql.com/doc/index-other.html. 

The following sections describe how to install and uninstall plugins, and how to determine at runtime which plugins are installed and obtain information about them. For information about writing plugins, see The MySQL Plugin API. 

## 5.6.1 Installing and Uninstalling Plugins 

Server plugins must be loaded into the server before they can be used. MySQL supports plugin loading at server startup and runtime. It is also possible to control the activation state of loaded plugins at startup, and to unload them at runtime. 

While a plugin is loaded, information about it is available as described in Section 5.6.2, “Obtaining Server Plugin Information” . 

## Installing Plugins 

•Installing Plugins 

•Controlling Plugin Activation State 

•Uninstalling Plugins 

•Plugins and Loadable Functions 

Before a server plugin can be used, it must be installed using one of the following methods. In the descriptions, plugin_name  stands for a plugin name such as innodb , csv , or validate_password . 

## Built-in Plugins 

•Built-in Plugins 

•Plugins Registered in the mysql.plugin System Table 

•Plugins Named with Command-Line Options 

•Plugins Installed with the INSTALL PLUGIN Statement 

A built-in plugin is known by the server automatically. By default, the server enables the plugin at startup. Some built-in plugins permit this to be changed with the -- plugin_name [= activation_state ]  option. 

## Plugins Registered in the mysql.plugin System Table 

The mysql.plugin  system table serves as a registry of plugins (other than built-in plugins, which need not be registered). During the normal startup sequence, the server loads plugins registered in the table. By default, for a plugin loaded from the mysql.plugin  table, the server also enables the plugin. This can be changed with the -- plugin_name [= activation_state ]  option. 

If the server is started with the --skip-grant-tables  option, plugins registered in the mysql.plugin table are not loaded and are unavailable. 

## Plugins Named with Command-Line Options 

A plugin located in a plugin library file can be loaded at server startup with the --plugin-load , -- plugin-load-add , or --early-plugin-load  option. Normally, for a plugin loaded at startup, the 

