MySql installation and use

Question

I have purchased a book that teaches the use of MySQL through the Terminal. I have tried installing MySQL several times (both the tar and dmg files) and it doesn't seem to work. I have employed instructions from my book, from the MySQL site, and from other users in these forums. I click on the MySQL icon in the preferences pane and the window pops up telling me that MySQL is running. However, none of the commands I type in terminal, such as "CREATE DATABASE", will work; I just get the "command not found" error message.
I don't really have any experience using Terminal, and I am assuming that there is some step that the authors of the tips I've tried have left out because it seems obvious to them. I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could point me to a *complete and thorough* list of instruction from download to actually typing commands into MySQL and/or instructions to get to a MySQL specific window in Terminal, if there is such a thing.
Also, perhaps the most important question for me to ask is "Can I use MySQL on my iBook, or does it only work if I actually have a server?".
Thanks!!
Message was edited by: Gyclone

Answer 1

Before you continue here, please ensure you have a good archive of your boot disk. (When you start trying to install stuff, there is the possibility of perturbing the environment.)
As for loading MySQL, MySQL is built into Mac OS X Server. No need to install it, unless you need a different version -- and you probably don't want to start down that path until and unless you (really) need to.
If you have Mac OS X client here (you're posting your question in the server forum), you might want to start out with the [MAMP|http://mamp.info/en/index.php] kit.
The commands you are trying to enter into terminal are probably expected to be entered into MySQL itself, rather than into the bash shell. Creating the database is usually among most involved steps -- its too bad its one of the first steps required.
You have some steps needed to get going, and typical sequences (from memory) look like this:
$ mysql -u DBPrivUser
mysql> create database DatabaseName;
mysql> quit;
The following shows an example of the status command:
$ mysql -u DbPrivUser -p DatabaseName
Enter password: DbPrivUserPwd
mysql> status;
If you hit errors here, post up which MySQL package you are using (if this isn't Tiger or Leopard server), what commands were used, and what the error message text was.
As for for complete and thorough documentation, either look at the documentation for whatever package is involved, for another (similar) package (eg: [Drupal|http://www.drupal.org]) or take a look at the [MySQL.com|http://www.mysql.com] web site. Or consider getting somebody in to help out -- this sort of stuff is quite difficult to do remotely; without having a view into what you're doing, and what commands are entered, and what response is posted back from the system.