Installing MySQL

MySQL can be downloaded from http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql. Select the appropriate MySQL Community server for your operating system and architecture. It is important to follow the instructions, making note of installation directories and paths for future reference. After downloading and running the setup file, you should select the Developer Default installation for this book.

Choosing the default settings is best unless you are familiar with MySQL. This will include setting the default port to 3306, enabling TCP/IP networking, and opening the required firewall port for network access (not strictly required for a developer machine where all apps are running on the same environment, but required if you are configuring a dedicated MySQL server).

Regardless of the environment, it is important to set a root user password during the installation process. We will use the root user to connect to the running MySQL server to execute commands.

We recommend that the MySQL server is configured to start when the operating system starts. How this is done will depend on your environment, but it is usually performed at the end of the Initial Configuration action. Windows users will have the option to start the MySQL server at system startup. Mac users will need to install the MySQL Startup Item after the server has been installed.

Should you decide not to start MySQL when the operating system starts, you will need to start the MySQL server manually whenever required. How this is done will once again depend on your environment, but you should start your server now to confirm that the installation was successful.

At the end of the configuration process, you will have a running MySQL server ready to be used in Chapter 2, The Task Time Tracker Database.