MySQL Bugs: #30261: "mysqld --help" no longer possible for root

Bug #30261	"mysqld --help" no longer possible for root
Submitted:	6 Aug 2007 22:26	Modified:	13 Mar 2009 20:13
Reporter:	Hartmut Holzgraefe	Email Updates:
Status:	Closed	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Server: General	Severity:	S3 (Non-critical)
Version:	5.1.18 and higher	OS:	Any
Assigned to:	Chad MILLER	CPU Architecture:	Any
Tags:	usability

Description:
since MySQL 5.1.18 it is no longer possible to get mysqld help output as root:

# mysql-5.1.18/libexec/mysqld --help

070807  0:24:16 [ERROR] Fatal error: Please read "Security" section of the manual to find out how to run mysqld as root!

070807  0:24:16 [ERROR] Aborting

070807  0:24:16 [Note] mysql-5.1.18/libexec/mysqld: Shutdown complete

How to repeat:
try "mysql --help" as root

This is actually what you want. To print a complete help, mysqld needs to load plugins first (to read their command-line options), and you don't want to run plugin code as root.

I expect binaries to *always* produce help output when being asked for help.
If loading plugins at that stage is a problem (which i tend to agree to)
then the binary should exclude that loading step and the help output related
to those plugins, noting in the help output that parts of it are missing due
to the fact that it is running as root.

Just producing rather obscure error messages (also referring to documentation without giving an actual URL at least) is a usability nightmare IMHO.

So i might accept a "to be fixed later" maybe, but definitely not a "Won't fix"

workaround: run mysqld --help as a different user (not root)

This is a regression! It has a bunch of duplicates.
Please re-triage.
BTW, for some reason each duplicate has a different lead?

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/60502

2725 Chad MILLER	2008-12-03
      Bug#30261: "mysqld --help" no longer possible for root
      
      Asking for the program's parameters and defaults now must execute 
      plugin code, which we don't trust to be run as root.
      
      So, now if the server is going to print stuff and exit, first become
      another user.

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/60548

2725 Chad MILLER	2008-12-03
      Bug#30261: "mysqld --help" no longer possible for root
      
      Previoiusly, we quit before printing help if there was an error, and
      running as root is an error.
      
      Now, print help if we were asked to, but explicitly avoid plugin code
      if we are also running as root.  Also, emit a warning about avoiding it.

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/63614

2725 Chad MILLER	2009-01-20
      Bug#30261: "mysqld --help" no longer possible for root
      
      The check for root-ness would signal an error.  Errors would make the
      server exit before usage (help) information was printed.
      
      Now, test for whether we want help regardless of whether we're going
      to exit with an error.

A patch for this bug has been committed. After review, it may
be pushed to the relevant source trees for release in the next
version. You can access the patch from:

  http://lists.mysql.com/commits/65756

2725 Chad MILLER	2009-02-10
      Bug#30261: "mysqld --help" no longer possible for root
      
      The check for root-ness would signal an error.  Errors would make the
      server exit before usage (help) information was printed.
      
      Now, test for whether we want help regardless of whether we're going
      to exit with an error.  If plugins are not initialized by the time we 
      print usage information, inform the user that some parameters are 
      missing.

Queued to 5.1- and 6.0-bugteam trees.

Pushed into 6.0.10-alpha (revid:matthias.leich@sun.com-20090212211028-y72faag15q3z3szy) (version source revid:matthias.leich@sun.com-20090212211028-y72faag15q3z3szy) (merge vers: 6.0.10-alpha) (pib:6)

Noted in 6.0.10 changelog.

mysqld --help did not work as root.

Setting report to NDI pending push into 5.1.x.

Pushed into 5.1.33 (revid:joro@sun.com-20090313111355-7bsi1hgkvrg8pdds) (version source revid:vvaintroub@mysql.com-20090218093153-sjzxf01i4ezte0xp) (merge vers: 5.1.33) (pib:6)

Noted in 5.1.33 changelog.

Pushed into 5.1.34-ndb-6.2.18 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20090508185236-p9b3as7qyauybefl) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20090508100057-30ote4xggi4nq14v) (merge vers: 5.1.33-ndb-6.2.18) (pib:6)

Pushed into 5.1.34-ndb-6.3.25 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20090509063138-1u3q3v09wnn2txyt) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20090508175813-s6yele2z3oh6o99z) (merge vers: 5.1.33-ndb-6.3.25) (pib:6)

Pushed into 5.1.34-ndb-7.0.6 (revid:jonas@mysql.com-20090509154927-im9a7g846c6u1hzc) (version source revid:jonas@mysql.com-20090509073226-09bljakh9eppogec) (merge vers: 5.1.33-ndb-7.0.6) (pib:6)