MySQL FAQ

What is SQL?

SQL stands for "Structured Query Language". SQL is the most common standardized language used to access databases.

XMission uses MySQL, which is a very popular open-source database management system.

What version of MySQL does XMission use?

XMission currently has two versions of MySQL running: version 5.0.24a and version 4.1.11. The current version is also displayed when you log in to the MySQL server.

How much does a database at XMission cost?

If you have a Deluxe Hosting or Pro Hosting account, an SQL database is included in your account package. For any other account type, the charge is $5 per month.

How do I get a database set up for my account?

To add a database to your account, either email sql@xmission.com or contact sales.

How do I log in to my database?

Depending on your MySQL version, you will need to connect to a different host. For MySQL version 4.x, the server name is mysql-41.xmission.com

For MySQL version 5.x the server name is mysql-50.xmission.com

To connect directly to the database from our shell server:

1. telnet or ssh to shell.xmission.com
2. mysql -u acctname -h servername -p databasename
3. This will prompt you for a password, which is not necessarily the same as your login password.

For example: to connect to a MySQL version 5.x database, you would use: mysql -u acctname -h mysql-50.xmission.com -p databasename

What can I use to access my database?

There isn't a "recommended" method to access your database, but here is a list of the more popular programing languages connection methods which we support.

perl : DBI module

python : mysql module or MySQLdb module

php : php has been compiled with the mysql functions built in

C : The header and libraries for mysql are installed so #include <mysql/mysql.h> will need to be present in your source files.

C++ : same as C, but we also have mysql++ headers and libraries on XMission servers. To use this, #include <sqlplus>

Java : JDBC classes are available

What do I do if I forgot my password?

Email sql@xmission.com to have your password reset.

Do I have a size limit (quota) for my database?

Yes. The size of your database counts against your /home quota, which is 100MB default for most account types. Pro Hosting accounts get 200MB /home storage, and additional storage can be purchased.

Where can I get more information about using MySQL?

Thorough documentation can be found at MySQL.com.