- --ansi
-
Instructs the server to use standard ANSI SQL syntax, rather than MySQL syntax.
- --basedir= path, -b path
-
Specifies the base directory for MySQL installation.
- --big-tables
-
Instructs the server to save temporary results sets to a file to solve errors where results are large and tables are said to be full.
- --bind-address= address
-
Specifies the IP address upon which the server is to bind. Use it to restrict network access on a host with multiple IP addresses.
- --character-set-server= set
-
Start a server with a particular character set. It's available as of Version 4.1.3 of MySQL.
- --character-sets-dir= path
-
Specifies the directory containing character sets.
- --chroot= path
-
Runs the daemon with chroot( ) from the filesystem so as to start it in a closed environment for additional security. This is a recommended security measure as of Version 4 of MySQL. This option has vulnerabilities under Version 3.23.
- --collation-server= collation
-
Starts a server with a particular collation. It's available as of Version 4.1.3 of MySQL.
- --console
-
Displays the error messages to stdout and stderr.
- --core-file
-
Instructs the server to create a core file if the daemon dies. Some systems also require the --skip-stack-trace option to be set, as well. Some systems also require the --core-file-size option when using mysqld_safe. On Solaris systems, if the --user option is used also, the server will not create the core file.
- --datadir= path, -h path
-
Specifies the directory that contains datafiles (i.e, database directories and table files).
- --debug[= options] , -# [ options]
-
Obtains a trace file of the daemon's activities. The debug options are typically 'd:t:o,filename'. MySQL has to be compiled for debugging using the --with-debug option when configuring.
- --default-character-set= set
-
Specifies the default character set. This option is deprecated as of Version 4.1.3 of MySQL. Use the --character-set-server option instead.
- --default-collation= collation
-
Specifies the collation to use as default. This option is deprecated as of Version 4.1.3 of MySQL. Use the --collation-server option instead.
- --default-storage-engine= type
-
Specifies the default table type. It's synonymous with the --default-table-type option.
- --default-table-type= type
-
Changes the default table type. MyISAM is the default unless you change it with this option.
- --default-time-zone= zone
-
Specifies the default time zone for the server. The filesystem time zone is used by default.
- --delay-key-write[= option]
-
Instructs the server on how to handle key buffers between writes for MyISAM tables. The choices are OFF, ON, and ALL. The ON choice delays writes for tables created with DELAYED KEYS. The ALL choice delays writes for all MyISAM tables regardless. MyISAM tables should not be accessed by another server or clients like myisamcheck when the ALL choice is used. It may cause corruption of indexes.
- --delay-key-write-for-all-tables
-
Instructs the server not to flush key buffers between writes for MyISAM tables. As of Version 4.0.3 of MySQL, use --delay-key-write=ALL instead.
- --des-key-file= filename
-
Instructs the server to obtain the default keys from the file named when the MySQL functions DES_ENCRYPT( ) or DES_DECRYPT() are used.
- --enable-named-pipe
-
This enables support for named pipe connections with the mysqld-nt and mysqld-max-nt servers, which support them.
- --exit-info[= flags], -T [ flags]
-
Displays debugging information when the daemon exits.
- --external-locking
-
Previously called --enable-locking, this option allows system locking. Be careful when using this option on a platform with problems with lockd (e.g., Linux): the mysqld daemon may lock and you might have to reboot the server to unlock it.
- --flush
-
Use this to have the server flush all changes to disk after each SQL statement and not to wait for the filesystem to determine the frequency of writes.
- --help, -?
-
Displays basic help information and more information when it's combined with the --verbose option.
- --init-file= filename
-
Instructs the server to read the SQL commands contained in the file named at startup. Each SQL statement in the file must be on one line only and cannot include comments.
- --innodb-safe-binlog
-
Ensures consistency between the content of InnoDB tables and the binary log.
- --language= language, -L language
-
Provides the name of the language preferred for user messages and, optionally, the path to the language file.
- --log[= filename], -l [ filename]
-
Instructs the server to log connection information and queries to the path and file named, or to the default (host.log) if none is given.
- --log-bin[= filename]
-
Enables binary logging of changes to databases to the path and name of the file given. If a filename isn't provided, the default name of host-bin.index will be used, where host is the hostname of the server and index is a numeric count.
- --log-bin-index[= filename]
-
Names the path and filename for the index file for the binary log filenames. The default name for the log if none is specified with this option is host-bin.index, where host is the server's hostname and index is a numeric count.
- --log-error[= filename]
-
Activates logging of error messages and server start-up messages to the path and filename given. The default name for the log if none is specified with this option is host.err, where host is the server's hostname.
- --log-isam[= filename]
-
Activates logging of changes to ISAM and MyISAM tables to the path and filename given. This option is used only when debugging.
- --log-long-format
-
Instructs the server to be more verbose in logs. This is the default setting as of Version 4.1 of MySQL. Use the --log-short-format option to disable this option.
- --log-queries-not-using-indexes
-
When you use this with the --log-slow-queries option, all queries that do not use indexes are logged to the slow query log. This option is available as of Version 4.1 of MySQL.
- --log-short-format
-
Instructs the server to be less verbose in logs. This option is available as of Version 4.1 of MySQL.
- --log-slow-queries[= filename]
-
Instructs the server to log queries that take longer than the maximum number of seconds specified in the value of the long_query_time variable. If filename is specified, entries are recorded in the logfile named.
- --log-update[= filename]
-
Activates logging of updates to the path and filename given. This feature is deprecated in favor of binary logging.
- --log-warnings, -W
-
Activates logging of warning messages. Prior to Version 4 of MySQL, this option was invoked with the --warnings option. After Version 4.1.2, this option is enabled by default and can be disabled with the --skip-log-warnings option.
- --low-priority-updates
-
Sets all SQL statements that modify data to a lower priority by default than SELECT statements.
- --memlock
-
Use this on filesystems that support mlockall( ) system calls (e.g., Solaris) to lock the daemon in memory and thereby avoid the use of disk swapping and improving performance. It requires the daemon to be started by root, which may be a security problem.
- --myisam-recover[= options]
-
Sets the MyISAM storage engine's recovery mode so that all MyISAM tables will be automatically checked and repaired if needed when the server starts. The choices of settings are BACKUP (makes backups of recovered tables that were changed), DEFAULT (disables this option), FORCE (runs recovery regardless of the risk of losing data), and QUICK (doesn't check rows for tables without any deletions). Multiple choices may be given in a comma-separated list.
- --ndbcluster
-
Enables support for the NDB Cluster storage engine.
- --nbd-connectstring= string
-
Specifies the connect string when using the NDB Cluster storage engine.
- --new, -n
-
At the time of this writing, this option tests queries before upgrading from Version 4 to 4.1 of MySQL.
- --old-protocol, -o
-
Has the server use Version 3.2 protocol of MySQL for compatibility with older clients.
- --one-thread
-
Instructs the server to allow only one thread when debugging a Linux system.
- --open-files-limit= number
-
Specifies the maximum number of file descriptors for the daemon.
- --pid-file= path
-
Specifies the path to the process identifier file when using mysqld_safe.
- --port= port, -P port
-
Specifies the port on which the server will listen for client connections.
- --safe-mode
-
Disables some optimization at startup.
- --safe-show-database
-
Hides database names that a user does not have permission to access.
- --safe-user-create
-
Prevents a user from creating new users without INSERT privileges for the user table in the mysql database.
- --secure
-
Enables reverse host lookup of IP addresses.
- --secure-auth
-
Prevents authentication of users with passwords created prior to Version 4.1 of MySQL.
- --set-variable variable=value
-
Sets a server variable. Enter mysqld --verbose --help for the current values for a particular server's variables.
- --shared-memory
-
Allows shared memory connections by Windows clients locally. This option is available as of Version 4.1 of MySQL.
- --shared-memory-base-name= name
-
Sets the name to use for shared memory connections in Windows. This option is available as of Version 4.1 of MySQL.
- --skip-bdb
-
Disables the BDB storage engine.
- --skip-concurrent-insert
-
Prevents simultaneous SELECT and INSERT statements for MyISAM tables.
- --skip-delay-key-write
-
Disregards tables marked as DELAY_KEY_WRITE. As of Version 4.0.3 of MySQL, use --delay-key-write=OFF instead.
- --skip-external-locking
-
Previously called --skip-locking, this option prevents system locking.
- --skip-grant-tables
-
Instructs the server not to use the grants table and thus give all users full access. This is a security risk. If this option is used, restarting the server without this option or running the FLUSH PRIVILEGES statement from the terminal mode will re-enable privileges. You can use this option if you have lost the root password. It lets you log in without the password and then reset it.
- --skip-host-cache
-
Disables the use of the internal host cache and requires DNS lookup for each new connection.
- --skip-innodb
-
Disables the InnoDB storage engine.
- --skip-isam
-
This option disables the ISAM storage engine. As of Version 4.1 of MySQL, this option is on by default.
- --skip-locking
-
Disables server system locking.
- --skip-name-resolve
-
This option requires a client's IP address to be named in the privileges tables for tighter security and faster connections.
- --skip-ndbcluster
-
This option disables the NDB Cluster storage engine.
- --skip-networking
-
Prevents network connections of clients and allows local connections only.
- --skip-new
-
Instructs the server not to use new, questionable routines.
- --skip-safemalloc
-
Prevents the server from checking for memory overruns when performing memory allocation and memory-freeing activities.
- --skip-show-database
-
Prevents the SHOW DATABASES statement from being executed by users without that specific privilege.
- --skip-stack-trace
-
Prevents the writing of stack traces.
- --skip-symlink
-
Disables support for symbolic links. As of Version 4.0.3 of MySQL, use --symbolic-links to enable symbolic links and --skip-symbolic-links to disable them.
- --skip-thread-priority
-
Prevents prioritizing of threads.
- --socket= filename
-
Provides the path and name of the socket file to be generated (/tmp/mysql.sock on Unix systems by default). On Windows systems, this option is used to provide the pipe name (MySQL by default) for local connections.
- --sql-mode= value
-
Sets the SQL mode. Multiple values may be given in a comma-separated list.
- --temp-pool
-
Instructs the server to utilize a small set of names for temporary file naming rather than unique names for each file.
- --tmpdir= path, -t path
-
Names the directory for the server to write temporary files. Multiple paths may be given in a colon-separated list.
- --transaction-isolation= option
-
Sets the default transaction isolation level. The various levels available are READ-UNCOMMITTED, READ-COMMITTED, REPEATABLE-READ, and SERIALIZABLE.
- --user= user, -u user
-
Starts the daemon with the filesystem username or user identifier number given. This is particularly useful when starting the daemon while logged in as root.
- --version, -v
-
Displays the version of the server.