I was surprised at how much time I have spent on getting MySQL and Python to work on OS X Leopard. Here are the steps that worked for me.
- Install MySQL using mac port.
- Download the latest python mysqldb, build and install it.
To install latest MySQL (5.1.x) see this entry.
Now let me expand on these steps.
Install MySQL using mac port:
$ sudo port install mysql5 Password: ---> Computing dependencies for mysql5 ---> Fetching mysql5 ---> Verifying checksum(s) for mysql5 ---> Extracting mysql5 ---> Applying patches to mysql5 ---> Configuring mysql5 ---> Building mysql5 ---> Staging mysql5 into destroot ---> Installing mysql5 @5.0.86_0 ---> Activating mysql5 @5.0.86_0 ---> Cleaning mysql5
Next install the MySQL system tables:
$ sudo mysql_install_db5 --user=mysql Installing MySQL system tables... 090926 9:34:59 [Warning] Setting lower_case_table_names=2 because file system for /opt/local/var/db/mysql5/ is case insensitive OK Filling help tables... 090926 9:34:59 [Warning] Setting lower_case_table_names=2 because file system for /opt/local/var/db/mysql5/ is case insensitive OK To start mysqld at boot time you have to copy support-files/mysql.server to the right place for your system PLEASE REMEMBER TO SET A PASSWORD FOR THE MySQL root USER ! To do so, start the server, then issue the following commands: /opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'new-password' /opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin/mysqladmin -u root -h sj.local password 'new-password' Alternatively you can run: /opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin/mysql_secure_installation which will also give you the option of removing the test databases and anonymous user created by default. This is strongly recommended for production servers. See the manual for more instructions. You can start the MySQL daemon with: cd /opt/local ; /opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin/mysqld_safe & You can test the MySQL daemon with mysql-test-run.pl cd mysql-test ; perl mysql-test-run.pl Please report any problems with the /opt/local/lib/mysql5/bin/mysqlbug script! The latest information about MySQL is available on the web at http://www.mysql.com Support MySQL by buying support/licenses at http://shop.mysql.com
Make sure that the MySQL data folder is owned by _mysql.
$ cd /opt/local/var/db $ sudo chown -R _mysql:_mysql mysql5
Create aliases to easily start and stop MySQL. Add these to the ~/.bash_profile file.
alias mysqlstart='sudo /opt/local/bin/mysqld_safe5 --user=mysql&' alias mysqlstop='sudo /opt/local/bin/mysqladmin5 -u root -p shutdown'
Now start MySQL and set the root password if you wish. Try using mysqlstart and mysqlstop. Add /opt/local/bin to your $PATH. But you must already have done this if you’ve been using mac port.
Check the properties of the _mysql user:
$ dscacheutil -q user -a name _mysql name: _mysql password: * uid: 74 gid: 74 dir: /var/empty shell: /usr/bin/false gecos: MySQL Server
If the value of the gid is not the same as the value of uid, fix it so that gid is the same as uid, e.g.
$ dscl . -change /Users/_mysql PrimaryGroupID xx 74
Check to see the folder where the sockets are kept:
$ mysql_config5 --socket /opt/local/var/run/mysql5/mysqld.sock
If you use the GUI installer for MySQL, the sockets are kept in /tmp. So if you use the MySQL GUI Query Browser or Administrator make sure that you set the location of the socket. Here is a screenshot:
Setting MySQL socket location
OK, now you’re ready to install the MySQL Python connector. Download the latest version (1.2.3.c1). Check out this site for the excellent instructions, repeated next.
Build the connector:
$ ARCHFLAGS="-arch x86_64" /usr/bin/python setup.py build running build running build_py copying MySQLdb/release.py -> build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb running build_ext
Now install the connector:
$ sudo /usr/bin/python setup.py install Password: running install running bdist_egg running egg_info writing MySQL_python.egg-info/PKG-INFO writing top-level names to MySQL_python.egg-info/top_level.txt writing dependency_links to MySQL_python.egg-info/dependency_links.txt reading manifest file 'MySQL_python.egg-info/SOURCES.txt' reading manifest template 'MANIFEST.in' writing manifest file 'MySQL_python.egg-info/SOURCES.txt' installing library code to build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg running install_lib running build_py copying MySQLdb/release.py -> build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb running build_ext creating build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/_mysql.so -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/_mysql_exceptions.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg creating build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/__init__.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/connections.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb creating build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/__init__.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/CLIENT.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/CR.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/ER.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/FIELD_TYPE.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/FLAG.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/constants/REFRESH.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/converters.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/cursors.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/release.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb copying build/lib.macosx-10.6-universal-2.6/MySQLdb/times.py -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/_mysql_exceptions.py to _mysql_exceptions.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/__init__.py to __init__.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/connections.py to connections.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/__init__.py to __init__.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/CLIENT.py to CLIENT.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/CR.py to CR.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/ER.py to ER.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/FIELD_TYPE.py to FIELD_TYPE.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/FLAG.py to FLAG.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/constants/REFRESH.py to REFRESH.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/converters.py to converters.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/cursors.py to cursors.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/release.py to release.pyc byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/times.py to times.pyc creating stub loader for _mysql.so byte-compiling build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/_mysql.py to _mysql.pyc creating build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/EGG-INFO copying MySQL_python.egg-info/PKG-INFO -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/EGG-INFO copying MySQL_python.egg-info/SOURCES.txt -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/EGG-INFO copying MySQL_python.egg-info/dependency_links.txt -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/EGG-INFO copying MySQL_python.egg-info/top_level.txt -> build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/EGG-INFO writing build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/EGG-INFO/native_libs.txt zip_safe flag not set; analyzing archive contents... creating 'dist/MySQL_python-1.2.3c1-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg' and adding 'build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg' to it removing 'build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg' (and everything under it) Processing MySQL_python-1.2.3c1-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg Removing /Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/MySQL_python-1.2.3c1-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg Copying MySQL_python-1.2.3c1-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg to /Library/Python/2.6/site-packages MySQL-python 1.2.3c1 is already the active version in easy-install.pth Installed /Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/MySQL_python-1.2.3c1-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg Processing dependencies for MySQL-python==1.2.3c1 Finished processing dependencies for MySQL-python==1.2.3c1
You should now be ready to try out Python with MySQL:
$ python Python 2.6.2 (r262:71600, Sep 26 2009, 14:46:18) [GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5646)] on darwin Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import MySQLdb >>>
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October 22, 2009 at 11:57 am |
Dear Shahram,
Thank you for this guide as I have been having a great deal of trouble installing MySQLdb on my 10.6 mac. I followed you instructions, but that I already have MySQL 5.1.37 installed. Following the last steps to install MySQL Python connector 1.2.3.c1, everything went fine, and I got the messages you show. However when I tried to import MySQLdb in python I got the following error:
>>> import MySQLdb
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “”, line 1, in
File “build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/__init__.py”, line 19, in
File “build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/_mysql.py”, line 7, in
File “build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/_mysql.py”, line 6, in __bootstrap__
ImportError: dynamic module does not define init function (init_mysql)
Could you let me know what I have done wrong?
Many thanks,
October 22, 2009 at 2:56 pm |
Hi. Which Python are you running or used to build/instal MySQLdb? It is important not to use the Python version that comes pre-installed on the Mac. The first few steps of the directions in this blog entry are critical. Good luck!
October 26, 2009 at 12:40 am |
Hi.
Thanks for laying out the process! I’ve spent hours trying to make MySQLdb work, and now it does
October 26, 2009 at 4:46 am |
You’re welcome. Glad it was of some help.
October 27, 2009 at 10:03 am
No doubt. Learning by doing is great.
How are you administering your databases? phpmyadmin, command line?
October 27, 2009 at 2:59 pm |
command line.