MySQL Bugs: #32711: Install script does not create default 'mysql' user

Bug #32711	Install script does not create default 'mysql' user
Submitted:	26 Nov 2007 10:47	Modified:	26 Nov 2007 12:28
Reporter:	Ronald Fischer	Email Updates:
Status:	Not a Bug	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Server: Installing	Severity:	S2 (Serious)
Version:	5.0.45	OS:	MacOS (10.4)
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	Any
Tags:	default user

Description:
According to the installation instructions, the install script should create a default user named 'mysql', provided this user exists on the system. They also say that such a user should exist on the Mac for OSX version 10.3 or higher. Indeed, there was a user named mysql in the /etc/passwd. Nevertheless, the install script did not create a MYSQL user with this name.

It did however create a MYSQL user with name 'root', so I could easily log in as root and create the 'mysql' user myself. The reason why I rate this bug as S2 instead of S3 is that the installation instructions never mention anywhere, that a mysql user named 'root' with administrative privileges would be created. I found out about this only after posting this problem on a forum, and some kind soul told me about the root user. From the other responses to my posting, I could see that I am not the only one having this problem.

How to repeat:
(1) Take a plain Mac with OSX 10.4. On installation, create an administrator user
(for the Mac) named "Administrator". Also create some user account.
(2) Enable the root user, as described here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1549.html
(3) Install MySql as Administrator

After this, you will find that no 'mysql' user exists.

Suggested fix:
Either
(1) describe in the installation instructions for the Mac, that if the root user has been enabled, there will automatically exist a MySql user named 'root' with administrator privilege.

or
(2) Fix the installation script so that it creates a user named 'mysql' if such a user exists in /etc/passwd.

Thank you for taking the time to write to us, but this is not a bug. Please double-check the documentation available at http://dev.mysql.com/doc/ and the instructions on
how to report a bug at http://bugs.mysql.com/how-to-report.php

You said:

> It did however create a MYSQL user with name 'root', so I could easily log in as root and
> create the 'mysql' user myself. The reason why I rate this bug as S2 instead of S3 is that
> the installation instructions never mention anywhere, that a mysql user named 'root' with
> administrative privileges would be created. I found out about this only after posting this
> problem on a forum, and some kind soul told me about the root user. From the other
> responses to my posting, I could see that I am not the only one having this problem.

You mix operating system user and user you can login into MySQL server as.

See also http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/unix-post-installation.html