Summary

Installing MySQL on Windows and Mac OS X is a simple process, thanks to a wizard-based installation method. Linux/UNIX users do not have a wizard-based installation process, but it's not difficult to follow a simple set of commands to unpack the MySQL client and server binaries. Linux/UNIX users can also use RPMs for installation.

Security is always a priority, and there are several steps you can take to ensure a safe and secure installation of MySQL. Even if you are not the administrator of the server, you should be able to recognize security breaches and raise a ruckus with the server administrator!

The MySQL server should never run as the root user. Additionally, named users within MySQL should always have a password, and their access privileges should be well defined.

MySQL uses the privilege tables in a two-step process for each request that is made. MySQL needs to know who you are and where you are connecting from, and each of these pieces of information must match an entry in its privilege tables. Also, the user whose identity you are using must have specific permission to perform the type of request you are making.

You can add user privileges using the GRANT command, which uses a simple syntax to add entries to the user table in the mysql database. The REVOKE command, which is equally simple, is used to remove those privileges.