Running a MySQL server using Homebrew

First, install MySQL like so:

brew install mysql

This installs the server but doesn't run it. You can run it in the background like this:

% mysql.server start
Starting MySQL
.. SUCCESS! 
%

Then later on you can stop it like so:

% mysql.server stop 
Shutting down MySQL
. SUCCESS! 
%

While it's running it defaults to having a root account that only accepts connections from localhost with no password:

% mysql -u root       
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 8
...
mysql> 

Running mysql_secure_installation runs a wizard that helps set up a password.

When you first install it, Homebrew says:

To have launchd start mysql now and restart at login:
  brew services start mysql

You can re-display that message by running brew reinstall mysql.

Installing the mysqlclient Python library #

This took me a long time to figure out. Eventually this worked:

MYSQLCLIENT_CFLAGS=`pkg-config mysqlclient --cflags` \
  MYSQLCLIENT_LDFLAGS=`pkg-config mysqlclient --libs` \
  pip install mysqlclient

Created 2021-06-11T11:48:21-07:00, updated 2021-06-11T13:04:50-07:00 · History · Edit