FreeBSD Port: mysql-server-3.23.59.n.20050301_3

[Jeremy Chadwick]

On Mon, Jun 18, 2007 at 06:41:23PM -0400, Bob wrote:
> First the port allocates the location for the databases to /var/db/mysql.
> This location has no space allocated to hold database  data.
> It should be changed to /usr/local/mysql

You're complaining about the default location of mysql_dbdir, which is
somewhat understandable.  /var/db/mysql is a good place for it.
Ideally, the /var filesystem should be increased when choosing
[A]utomatic during filesystem creation (I believe it picks 2GB or
something like that), but that's not the responsibility of -ports.

The size of each filesystem is up to you to decide; sticking everything
blindly into /usr or subtrees of /usr (e.g.  /usr/local) simply because
FreeBSD defaults to "all remaining space --> /usr" doesn't justify
laziness during initial filesystem creation time.  Yes, I realise some
other ports do this (Apache for example, although it's quite justified
for Apache), and they probably shouldn't.  Deciding if ports should
install themselves into LOCALBASE/portname or not is quite political, I
think...

Anyways, what you can do is install MySQL normally, which of course
drops the MySQL database structure into /var/db/mysql.  Once there, you
can move that directory to someplace of your choice (/usr/local/mysql or
/home/mysql or whatever you want), then modify rc.conf to say
mysql_dbdir="/wherever/mysql".  pkg_delete/deinstalling the mysql-server
port won't nuke contents of that directory, and future installations (as
long as the existing mysql/* tables exist in mysql_dbdir) will skip
installing out-of-the-box MySQL databases/tables.

> Next the mysql manual should be included in the port just like the apache
> manual is.

I second this.  I've often the need to review MySQL server configuration
changes on a system without (at the time) network access.

-- 
| Jeremy Chadwick                                    jdc at parodius.com |
| Parodius Networking                           http://www.parodius.com/ |
| UNIX Systems Administrator                      Mountain View, CA, USA |
| Making life hard for others since 1977.                  PGP: 4BD6C0CB |