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This article describes how to connect to MySQL from the command line using the mysql program. You can use the mysql program as a quick and easy way to access your databases directly.

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Connecting to MySQL from the command line

To connect to MySQL from the command line, follow these steps:
  1. Log in to your account using SSH.
  2. At the command line, type the following command, replacing username with your username:
  3. At the Enter Password prompt, type your password. When you type the correct password, the mysql> prompt appears.
  4. To display a list of databases, type the following command at the mysql> prompt:
    📘 Note Make sure you do not forget the semicolon at the end of the statement.
  5. To access a specific database, type the following command at the mysql> prompt, replacing dbname with the name of the database that you want to access:
    📘 Note Make sure you do not forget the semicolon at the end of the statement.
  6. After you access a database, you can run SQL queries, list tables, and so on. Additionally:
    • To view a list of MySQL commands, type help at the mysql> prompt.
    • To exit the mysql program, type \q at the mysql> prompt.
    👍 Tip When you run a command at the mysql> prompt, you may receive a warning message if MySQL encounters a problem. For example, you may run a query and receive a message that resembles the following:
    To view the complete warning message, type the following command:

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More information

For more information about the mysql command line program, please visit http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/mysql.html.