Shortcut to MySql on Mac OS X?

Question

I am trying to add a path so I don't have to keep typing usr/local/mysql/bin every time I want to start Mysql. I found instructions here that say:

Edit the file /etc/profile and update the path by adding: usr/local/mysql/bin/, for example: PATH="/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/mysql/bin"

Problems:
1. There is no existing line in my profile file that says 'path'. This is what it currently says in profile: # System-wide .profile for sh(1)

if [ -x /usr/libexec/path_helper ]; then
    eval '/usr/libexec/path_helper -s'
fi
if [ "${BASH-no}" != "no" ]; then
    [ -r /etc/bashrc ] && . /etc/bashrc
fi

2. I really have no idea what I'm doing on a mac (yet). What do I add/change to the above file so mysql is easier to access?

Solution

It depends on whether or not you want all user accounts to have access to MySQL, or just you.

For everyone, edit /etc/profile as instructed and add the following to the end:
export PATH=$PATH:usr/local/mysql/bin

For just you (ALSO, this is safest so you don't accidentally mess up any system variables!):

Get a terminal session: Launch Terminal if it's not already running.

Make sure you're in your home directory:
CD ~

See if .bash_profile exists:
ls -al .b*

If it does, open it with your favorite text editor. If it doesn't, launch your favorite text editor and Save as... .bash_profile in your home folder.

Add this line to .bash_profile and Save:
export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/mysql/bin

Then close Terminal and open again for the change to take effect.

Hope this works out for you.

Comments

[sscirrus]

Hi Matt, I added the line to bash_profile but after restarting Terminal, it isn't working. I still have to type in the full /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql -u root -p. .bash_profile now looks like this: [[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && source "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" export PATH=$PATH:usr/local/mysql/bin.

[MattT]

Hm. Try this. In Terminal type "echo $PATH" to make sure "/usr/local/mysql/bin" is actually in the path. Also, at the end of the export line you added, does it actually say "export PATH=$PATH:usr/local/mysql/bin." exactly? Because as quoted in your response there's a period after the /bin, and you don't want that there. "/bin." != "/bin"

[MattT]

I just caught a mistake in what I told you to add to .bash_profile. I left out the slash in front of the path. GO into .bash_profile and change the line to: export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/mysql/bin