I typically install MySQL in /usr/local/mysql as the UNIX root account. I then create a UNIX mysql account that will have access to manage databases.

Once you've installed MySQL, you will need to initialize the grant tables, start the server, and make sure that the server works okay. You may also elect to arrange for the server to be started and stopped automatically when your system starts up and shuts down.

Installing the grant tables is accomplished by running the mysql_install_db script. This creates the mysql database which will hold all database privileges, the test database which you can use to test MySQL, and also privilege entries for the user that run mysql_install_db and a root user (without any passwords).

  % groupadd -g 116 mysql
  % useradd -u 174 -c "MySQL Software Owner" \
      -d /u01/app/mysql -g "mysql" -m -s /bin/bash mysql
  % passwd mysql

Create MySQL UserID:

  % mkdir /u01
  % mkdir /u01/app
  % mkdir /u01/app/mysql
  % chown -R mysql:mysql /u01/app/mysql
   

  % su -
  % cp mysql-3.23.54-pc-linux-i686.tar /usr/local
  % cd /usr/local
  % gunzip mysql-3.23.54-pc-linux-i686.tar.gz
  % tar xvf mysql-3.23.54-pc-linux-i686.tar
  % ln -s mysql-3.23.54-pc-linux-i686 mysql
  % cd mysql
  % scripts/mysql_install_db
  % chown -R root .
  % chown -R mysql data
  % chgrp -R mysql .

  % bin/safe_mysqld --user=mysql &

  % bin/mysqladmin -u root shutdown

• Using mysqladmin

    % mysqladmin ping
    mysqld is alive

    % mysqladmin version
    mysqladmin  Ver 8.23 Distrib 3.23.54, for pc-linux on i686
    Copyright (C) 2000 MySQL AB & MySQL Finland AB & TCX DataKonsult AB
    This software comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY. This is free software,
    and you are welcome to modify and redistribute it under the GPL license
  
    Server version          3.23.54
    Protocol version        10
    Connection              Localhost via UNIX socket
    UNIX socket             /tmp/mysql.sock
    Uptime:                 59 min 45 sec
  
    Threads: 1  Questions: 2  Slow queries: 0 
    Opens: 6  Flush tables: 1  Open tables: 0
    Queries per second avg: 0.001

• Ensure you can shutdown and startup the server

  Starting the MySQL Database

    % bin/safe_mysqld --user=mysql &

  Stopping the MySQL Database

    % bin/mysqladmin -u root shutdown

• Try several simple tests

    % mysqlshow
    +-----------+
    | Databases |
    +-----------+
    | mysql     |
    | test      |
    +-----------+

    % mysqlshow -u root mysql
    Database: mysql
    +--------------+
    |    Tables    |
    +--------------+
    | columns_priv |
    | db           |
    | func         |
    | host         |
    | tables_priv  |
    | user         |
    +--------------+

    % mysql -u root -e "select host, db, user from db" mysql
    +------+---------+------+
    | host | db      | user |
    +------+---------+------+
    | %    | test    |      |
    | %    | test\_% |      |
    +------+---------+------+

   % mysql -u root mysql
    Reading table information for completion of table and column names
    You can turn off this feature to get a quicker startup with -A
  
    Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
    Your MySQL connection id is 15 to server version: 3.23.54
  
    Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.
  
    mysql> select host, db, user from db;
    +------+---------+------+
    | host | db      | user |
    +------+---------+------+
    | %    | test    |      |
    | %    | test\_% |      |
    +------+---------+------+
    2 rows in set (0.00 sec)