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This chapter provides a brief overview of the MySQL command-line programs provided by Oracle Corporation. It also discusses the general syntax for specifying options when you run these programs. Most programs have options that are specific to their own operation, but the option syntax is similar for all of them. Finally, the chapter provides more detailed descriptions of individual programs, including which options they recognize. 

## 4.1 Overview of MySQL Programs 

There are many different programs in a MySQL installation. This section provides a brief overview of them. Later sections provide a more detailed description of each one, with the exception of NDB Cluster programs. Each program’s description indicates its invocation syntax and the options that it supports. Section 23.4, “NDB Cluster Programs” , describes programs specific to NDB Cluster. 

Most MySQL distributions include all of these programs, except for those programs that are platform- specific. (For example, the server startup scripts are not used on Windows.) The exception is that RPM distributions are more specialized. There is one RPM for the server, another for client programs, and so forth. If you appear to be missing one or more programs, see Chapter 2, Installing and Upgrading MySQL , for information on types of distributions and what they contain. It may be that you have a distribution that does not include all programs and you need to install an additional package. 

Each MySQL program takes many different options. Most programs provide a --help  option that you can use to get a description of the program’s different options. For example, try mysql --help . 

You can override default option values for MySQL programs by specifying options on the command line or in an option file. See Section 4.2, “Using MySQL Programs” , for general information on invoking programs and specifying program options. 

The MySQL server, mysqld , is the main program that does most of the work in a MySQL installation. The server is accompanied by several related scripts that assist you in starting and stopping the server: 

• mysqld 

The SQL daemon (that is, the MySQL server). To use client programs, mysqld  must be running, because clients gain access to databases by connecting to the server. See Section 4.3.1, “mysqld — The MySQL Server” . 

• mysqld_safe 

A server startup script. mysqld_safe  attempts to start mysqld . See Section 4.3.2, “mysqld_safe — MySQL Server Startup Script” . 

• mysql.server 

A server startup script. This script is used on systems that use System V-style run directories containing scripts that start system services for particular run levels. It invokes mysqld_safe  to start the MySQL server. See Section 4.3.3, “mysql.server — MySQL Server Startup Script” . 

• mysqld_multi 

A server startup script that can start or stop multiple servers installed on the system. See Section 4.3.4, “mysqld_multi — Manage Multiple MySQL Servers” . 

