MySQL Bugs: #9119: The Location of the my.ini file should not be determined by installtion path

Bug #9119	The Location of the my.ini file should not be determined by installtion path
Submitted:	11 Mar 2005 4:28	Modified:	4 Aug 2005 21:53
Reporter:	Shuichi Tamagawa	Email Updates:
Status:	Duplicate	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL Server: Installing	Severity:	S4 (Feature request)
Version:	4.1.10	OS:	Windows (Win XP / SP2)
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	Any

Description:
If you install MySQL by using new installer with default settings, my.ini file is created in "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 4.1\my.ini." and MySQL server reads the file when it is started. However, mysql client does not read the file without the option "--defaults-file", which is very confusing for and not friendly to the entry users who is likely to install MySQL by using installer.

How to repeat:
Here is a typical problem when using non-latin1 character set.

1. Install MySQL with by using installer with default setting.
2. Choose sjis character set in configuration wizard.
3. Open my.ini file created in install path and set default-character-set=sjis in [client] section (bug#9117)
4. Start server
5. Login to the server from mysql client and execute
mysql> show variables like 'char%'

The values of character_set_client, character_set_connection, and character_set_results should be sjis, but they are latin1. If the server character set is sjis and client character set is latin1, the Japanese characters get truncated when inserted.

Suggested fix:
my.cnf file should be created in "C:\WINDOWS\"  or "C:\" where mysql client can read without using "--defaults-file" option.

This report is related to bug: http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=9059

I read the the bug#9059. But documenting the location of my.ini file is not enough, because "mysql client" does not read the my.ini file in "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 4.1\my.ini".

In order to have mysq client read the my.ini file in installation path, users have to start mysql client with "--defaults-file" file. I don't think this is what you want  to have entry users think about.

Dear Shuichi,

If I understood well you don't agree with the solution posted for to
close the pointed bug report. Then I  am putting as verified since
the doumented solution is not enough for you.

Thanks.

hi!

I think your understanding is right.

Document solution can resolve MySQL server setting issue, 
but not for MySQL Client setting issue, 
especially for non-latin1 user (like us, Japanese).

This is not a technical problem but user-friendly problem, 
especially for new mysql users.

I hope we can have a good solution and will be able to promote mysql more easily.

Thanks,
Tetsuro

This was fixed as Bug #10419. The tools now look in the directory above where they are located for the my.ini, which matches how the installer sets things up.