Installation Layouts

This section describes the default layout of the directories created by installing binary and source distributions.

On Windows, the default installation directory is C:\mysql, which has the following subdirectories:

DirectoryContents of directory
binClient programs and the mysqld server
dataLog files, databases
DocsDocumentation
examplesExample programs and scripts
includeInclude (header) files
libLibraries
scriptsUtility scripts
shareError message files

Installations created from Linux RPM distributions result in files under the following system directories:

DirectoryContents of directory
/usr/binClient programs
/usr/sbinmysqld server
/var/lib/mysqlLog files, databases
/usr/share/doc/packagesDocumentation
includeInclude (header) files
libLibraries
scriptsmysql_install_db
/usr/share/mysqlError message and character set files
sql-benchBenchmarks

On Unix, a tar file binary distribution is installed by unpacking it at the installation location you choose (typically /usr/local/mysql) and creates the following directories in that location:

DirectoryContents of directory
binClient programs and the mysqld server
dataLog files, databases
docsDocumentation, ChangeLog
includeInclude (header) files
libLibraries
scriptsmysql_install_db
share/mysqlError message files
sql-benchBenchmarks

A source distribution is installed after you configure and compile it. By default, the installation step installs files under /usr/local, in the following subdirectories:

DirectoryContents of directory
binClient programs and scripts
include/mysqlInclude (header) files
infoDocumentation in Info format
lib/mysqlLibraries
libexecThe mysqld server
share/mysqlError message files
sql-benchBenchmarks and crash-me test
varDatabases and log files

Within an installation directory, the layout of a source installation differs from that of a binary installation in the following ways:

You can create your own binary installation from a compiled source distribution by executing the scripts/make_binary_distribution script from the top directory of the source distribution.