Installing MySQL on Mac OS X

The MySQL installation process for Mac OS X is fairly straightforwardthe developers from MySQL AB have created an installation package for Mac OSX. Go to the MySQL downloads page at http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html and look for the section titled "Mac OS X downloads." Once there, download the appropriate standard version for your system; the version you choose will depend on your Mac OS X version (10.3 or 10.4) and architecture(PowerPC, PowerPC 64-bit, or x86).

When the download is complete, unpack the installer file and double-click the *.pkg file. Follow these installation steps to complete the process:

1.	The MySQL installer will launch automatically, as shown in Figure 2.1. Click Continue to move to the next step. Figure 2.1. The MySQL Installer for the Mac has started.
2.	The next few screens will contain general information regarding installation and the MySQL license. Read these screens and click Continue to move through them.
3.	After stepping through the information and licensing screens, you must select an installation destination. Select the appropriate drive as shown in Figure 2.2 and then click the Continue button. Figure 2.2. Select an installation location.
4.	The next screen verifies your installation location selection and requires you to click the Install button to continue. At this point, you may be prompted to enter the Administrator username and password before the installation process continues. Once it continues, let the process run its course until you see the installation is complete, as shown in Figure 2.3. Figure 2.3. MySQL hasbeen installed.

Also includedin the installation package is the MySQL Startup Item installer. If you want MySQL to start automatically at system startup, install this additional package. Installation of the MySQL Startup Item follows the standard installation method just describeddouble-click the *.pkg file, select a destination disk, and allow the installation process to run to completion. After the MySQL Startup Item is installed, use the following command in a terminal window to start MySQL:

# sudo /Library/StartupItems/MySQLCOM/MySQLCOM start

You may be asked to enter your account password. Press Ctrl+D to exit the shell after starting MySQL. After you have started MySQL, you can skip down to the section called "Basic Security Guidelines." If you had any issues with your installation, check the "Troubleshooting Your Installation" section.