bashANYmysqlclientconnect
bash
mysql -u root -pPrompts for the password and connects using the default local socket or TCP settings.
MySQL Client and Connection Cheatsheet
mysql client commands for connecting, switching databases, inspecting metadata, and working efficiently in interactive or scripted sessions.
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mysql client basics
Connect, select a database, inspect metadata, and run SQL from the MySQL command line client.
bashANYmysqlconnectremote
bash
mysql -h db.example.com -P 3306 -u app_user -pUseful for connecting to staging, production, or containerized MySQL instances.
bashANYmysqldatabaseconnect
bash
mysql -u app_user -p app_dbEquivalent to connecting first and then running `USE app_db;`.
bashANYmysqlautomationquery
bash
mysql -u app_user -p -e "SHOW DATABASES;"Good for scripts, quick checks, and automation tasks.
sqlANYshowdatabasesmetadata
sql
SHOW DATABASES;Visibility depends on privileges.
sqlANYusedatabasecontext
sql
USE app_db;After `USE`, unqualified table names resolve inside that schema.
sqlANYshowtables
sql
SHOW TABLES;A quick way to inspect schema contents from the CLI.
sqlANYdescribeschemacolumns
sql
DESCRIBE users;`DESC users;` is a common shorthand.
sqlANYddlshow-createtable
sql
SHOW CREATE TABLE users\GUsing `\G` in the mysql client prints vertical output, which is easier to read for long DDL.
sqlANYwarningsdiagnostics
sql
SHOW WARNINGS;Very useful after bulk imports or `INSERT ... SELECT` statements.
script-friendly client patterns
Useful flags and metadata commands for shell scripts and automation.
bashANYmysqlscriptsheaders
bash
mysql -u app_user -p -N -e "SELECT id, email FROM users LIMIT 5;" app_db`-N` removes column names from the output.
bashANYmysqlbatchautomation
bash
mysql -u app_user -p -B -e "SELECT NOW();"`-B` outputs tab-separated rows that are easier to parse in shell tools.
sqlANYmysqlteelogging
sql
tee /tmp/mysql-session.logInside the mysql client, `tee` starts recording output; `notee` turns it off.
Show connection status in the mysql client
Display host, connection id, server version, and current database.
sqlANYmysqlstatussession
sql
statusUseful for verifying where you are connected before running risky statements.
sqlANYprocesslistsessionstroubleshooting
sql
SHOW PROCESSLIST;Helpful when diagnosing blocked queries or long-running sessions.
sqlANYkillprocesslistadmin
sql
KILL 12345;Use carefully in production; get the connection id from `SHOW PROCESSLIST`.
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