This section describes the default layout of the directories created by installing binary and source distributions.
On Windows, the default installation directory is C:\mysql, which has the following subdirectories:
| Directory | Contents of directory |
| bin | Client programs and the mysqld server |
| data | Log files, databases |
| Docs | Documentation |
| examples | Example programs and scripts |
| include | Include (header) files |
| lib | Libraries |
| scripts | Utility scripts |
| share | Error message files |
Installations created from Linux RPM distributions result in files under the following system directories:
| Directory | Contents of directory |
| /usr/bin | Client programs |
| /usr/sbin | mysqld server |
| /var/lib/mysql | Log files, databases |
| /usr/share/doc/packages | Documentation |
| include | Include (header) files |
| lib | Libraries |
| scripts | mysql_install_db |
| /usr/share/mysql | Error message and character set files |
| sql-bench | Benchmarks |
On Unix, a tar file binary distribution is installed by unpacking it at the installation location you choose (typically /usr/local/mysql) and creates the following directories in that location:
| Directory | Contents of directory |
| bin | Client programs and the mysqld server |
| data | Log files, databases |
| docs | Documentation, ChangeLog |
| include | Include (header) files |
| lib | Libraries |
| scripts | mysql_install_db |
| share/mysql | Error message files |
| sql-bench | Benchmarks |
A source distribution is installed after you configure and compile it. By default, the installation step installs files under /usr/local, in the following subdirectories:
| Directory | Contents of directory |
| bin | Client programs and scripts |
| include/mysql | Include (header) files |
| info | Documentation in Info format |
| lib/mysql | Libraries |
| libexec | The mysqld server |
| share/mysql | Error message files |
| sql-bench | Benchmarks and crash-me test |
| var | Databases and log files |
Within an installation directory, the layout of a source installation differs from that of a binary installation in the following ways:
The mysqld server is installed in the libexec directory rather than in the bin directory.
The data directory is var rather than data.
mysql_install_db is installed in the bin directory rather than in the scripts directory.
The header file and library directories are include/mysql and lib/mysql rather than include and lib.
You can create your own binary installation from a compiled source distribution by executing the scripts/make_binary_distribution script from the top directory of the source distribution.