Chapter 2. Installing and Upgrading MySQL

This chapter describes how to obtain and install MySQL. A summary of the procedure follows and later sections provide the details. If you plan to upgrade an existing version of MySQL to a newer version rather than install MySQL for the first time, see Section 2.10, "Upgrading MySQL," for information about upgrade procedures and about issues that you should consider before upgrading.

1.	Determine whether your platform is supported. Please note that not all supported systems are equally suitable for running MySQL. On some platforms it is much more robust and efficient than others. See Section 2.1.1, "Operating Systems Supported by MySQL," for details.
2.	Choose which distribution to install. Several versions of MySQL are available, and most are available in several distribution formats. You can choose from pre-packaged distributions containing binary (precompiled) programs or source code. When in doubt, use a binary distribution. We also provide public access to our current source tree for those who want to see our most recent developments and help us test new code. To determine which version and type of distribution you should use, see Section 2.1.2, "Choosing Which MySQL Distribution to Install."
3.	Download the distribution that you want to install. For instructions, see Section 2.1.3, "How to Get MySQL." To verify the integrity of the distribution, use the instructions in Section 2.1.4, "Verifying Package Integrity Using MD5 Checksums or `GnuPG`."
4.	Install the distribution. To install MySQL from a binary distribution, use the instructions in Section 2.2, "Standard MySQL Installation Using a Binary Distribution." To install MySQL from a source distribution or from the current development source tree, use the instructions in Section 2.8, "MySQL Installation Using a Source Distribution." If you encounter installation difficulties, see Section 2.12, "Operating SystemSpecific Notes," for information on solving problems for particular platforms.

5.	Perform any necessary post-installation setup. After installing MySQL, read Section 2.9, "Post-Installation Setup and Testing." This section contains important information about making sure the MySQL server is working properly. It also describes how to secure the initial MySQL user accounts, which have no passwords until you assign passwords. The section applies whether you install MySQL using a binary or source distribution.
6.	If you want to run the MySQL benchmark scripts, Perl support for MySQL must be available. See Section 2.13, "Perl Installation Notes."