Bugs in MySQL server startup script & manual

There are a few bugs in the "support-files/mysql.server" script and =
there are some discrepancies between what the manual says and what the =
scripts actually do. The remarks below apply to MySQL 3.23.53a-max =
(Linux binary distribution mysql-max-3.23.53a-pc-linux-gnu-i686.tar.gz) =
and Manual version 4.0.5-beta. The bugs are platform-independent; they =
apply to all Unix platforms (wherever "mysql.server" is used). Some bugs =
have been fixed in MySQL 4.0.5-beta, but not all of them; this is =
indicated below. The line numbers refer to script "mysql.server" from =
v3.23.53a-max.

I hope you will find these notes helpful.

-Richard

How-To-Repeat:
Item 1 (bug in v3.23.53 and v4.0.5-beta): The MySQL manual at =
http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_In stalling.html=
#Automatic_start claims that script "mysql.server" processes the =
[mysql.server] option group in configuration files. I believe that this =
is the intention. However, the script "mysql.server" actually processes =
option group [mysql_server]. In "support-files/mysql.server", line 106: =
"mysql_server" should be "mysql.server". Also, the comment on line 68 =
should be changed accordingly.

Item 2 (bug in v3.23.53, fixed in v4.0.5-beta): =
support-files/mysql.server, line 48: "@HOSTNAME@" should be =
"/bin/hostname"

Item 3 (bug in v3.23.53, fixed in v4.0.5-beta, but the remark still =
applies): When MySQL is installed into the default location =
(/usr/local/mysql), there is a problem with "support-files/mysql.server" =
when one tries to use it as /etc/init.d/mysql.server to automatically =
start the mysqld server at system startup, when it cannot be guaranteed =
that the present working directory is /usr/local/mysql.
In "support-files/mysql.server", line 42-45: "bindir" should always be =
set to "$basedir/bin", not just in the "else" case. This way, the

if test -x $bindir/my_print_defaults

on line 72 succeeds for the case of the default binary installation =
location (/usr/local/mysql) and it is no longer necessary to have an =
entry for "basedir" in "/etc/my.cnf" just to help mysql.server find the =
"my_print_defaults" executable. Currently, even for an installation into =
the default location (/usr/local/mysql), there must be an entry for =
"basedir" in "/etc/my.cnf", otherwise "/etc/init.d/mysql.server" will =
fail to start the mysqld server. This is somewhat counterintuitive, =
since the default is generally meant to work without requiring user =
intervention and explicit configuration (in this case: the user editing =
the "/etc/my.cnf" file and adding the line for "basedir").

An alternative solution would be to change the

if test -x ./bin/my_print_defaults

on line 69 in "mysql.server" to

if test -x $basedir/bin/my_print_defaults

This way, the "my_print_defaults" executable would also be found =
automatically.

Item 4 (bug in Manual v4.0.5-beta): The MySQL manual section 2.4.3 =
"Starting and Stopping MySQL Automatically" =
(http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_I nstalling.htm=
l#Automatic_start) should make clear that one should either follow the =
instructions in mysql.server (to use "/etc/init.d/mysql.server") OR =
append the

/bin/sh -c 'cd /usr/local/mysql ; ./bin/safe_mysqld --user=3Dmysql &'

line to /etc/rc.local, but not both.

Item 5.a (bug in Manual v4.0.5-beta): The table at the end of section =
2.4.3 "Starting and Stopping MySQL Automatically" =
(http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_I nstalling.htm=
l#Automatic_start) claims that script "safe_mysqld" reads option group =
[mysql.server] from option files, but actually it doesn't. Instead, it =
reads option group [safe_mysqld], which is not mentioned in the table. =
In fact, since the renaming of "safe_mysqld" to "mysqld_safe", the =
script also reads option group [mysqld_safe].

Item 5.b (bug in Manual v4.0.5-beta): The table also claims that the =
"mysql.server" script reads the "server" option group, but actually it =
doesn't. Maybe it is supposed to, in which case this would be a bug in =
the "mysql.server" script.

Item 6 (bug in Manual v4.0.5-beta): At the top of section 2.4 =
"Post-installation Setup and Testing" =
(http://www.mysql.com/documentation/mysql/bychapter/manual_I nstalling.htm=
l#Post-installation), it says that for a binary distribution (not RPM or =
pkg packages), one should use "./bin/mysql_install_db". This should read =
"./scripts/mysql_install_db".

Item 7 (bug in Manual v4.0.5-beta): Now that "safe_mysqld" has been =
renamed to "mysqld_safe" it is probably a good idea to do a global =
search & replace (or something to that effect) for "safe_mysqld" in the =
texinfo source of the manual. Maybe keep around a v3.23.x manual on the =
website for users of that version.

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