How to use MySQL on Mac

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing and using MySQL on macOS. It’s tailored for engineers looking to get MySQL up and running quickly and efficiently.

1. Installing MySQL

Using Homebrew:

If you don’t have Homebrew installed, you’ll want to start there:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL <https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh>)"

Once Homebrew is installed:

brew update
brew install mysql

Manual Installation:

1. Go to the official MySQL website’s download page and download the macOS version of MySQL Community Server.
2. Open the downloaded DMG file.
3. Follow the installation instructions.

2. Starting and Stopping the MySQL Server

Using Homebrew:

# To start MySQL
brew services start mysql

# To stop MySQL
brew services stop mysql

Manually:

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start
sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server stop

3. Connecting to the MySQL Server

By default, MySQL creates a user root with no password. You can connect to the MySQL server with the following command:

mysql -uroot

If you’ve set a password for root (recommended):

mysql -uroot -p

It will then prompt you for the password.

4. Basic MySQL Commands

Once connected, here are a few basic commands to get started:

• Show all databases: SHOW DATABASES;
• Create a new database: CREATE DATABASE dbname;
• Switch to a database: USE dbname;
• Show all tables in the current database: SHOW TABLES;
• Display structure of a table: DESCRIBE tablename;

Remember to end each command with a semicolon (;).

5. Uninstalling MySQL

Using Homebrew:

brew remove mysql
brew cleanup

Manually:

Stop the MySQL server:

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server stop

Remove MySQL files:

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/mysql
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/mysql-*
sudo rm -rf /Library/StartupItems/MySQLCOM

Remove MySQL preferences:

sudo rm -rf /Library/PreferencePanes/My*
rm -rf ~/Library/PreferencePanes/My*
sudo rm -rf /Library/Receipts/mysql*
sudo rm -rf /Library/Receipts/MySQL*
sudo rm -rf /private/var/db/receipts/*mysql*

Remove the MySQL user and group (be cautious with this step):

sudo dscl . -delete /Users/mysql
sudo dscl . -delete /Groups/mysql

That’s it! You should now have a solid foundation for using MySQL on your Mac. As always, consult the official MySQL documentation for deeper dives into specific topics and advanced configurations.