Chapter 77. mysql_config, Get compile options for compiling clients

mysql_config provides you with useful information how to compile your MySQL client and connect it to MySQL.

mysql_config supports the following options:

--cflags Compiler flags to find include files and critical ccompiler flags and defines used when compiling the libmysqlclient library.
--include Compiler options to find MySQL include files. (Normally one would use --cflags instead of this)
--libs Libraries and options required to link with the MySQL client library.
--libs_r Libraries and options required to link with the thread-safe MySQL client library.
--socket The default socket name, defined when configuring MySQL.
--port The default port number, defined when configuring MySQL.
--version Version number and version for the MySQL distribution.
--libmysqld-libs or --embedded Libraries and options required to link with the MySQL embedded server.

If you execute mysql_config without any options it will print all options it supports plus the value of all options: 

shell> mysql_config
Usage: /usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql_config [OPTIONS]
Options:
        --cflags         [-I/usr/local/mysql/include/mysql -mcpu=pentiumpro]
        --include        [-I/usr/local/mysql/include/mysql]
        --libs           [-L/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql -lmysqlclient -lz -lcrypt -lnsl -lm -L/usr/lib -lssl -lcrypto]
        --libs_r         [-L/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql -lmysqlclient_r -lpthread -lz -lcrypt -lnsl -lm -lpthread]
        --socket         [/tmp/mysql.sock]
        --port           [3306]
        --version        [4.0.16]
        --libmysqld-libs [-L/usr/local/mysql/lib/mysql -lmysqld -lpthread -lz -lcrypt -lnsl -lm -lpthread -lrt]

You can use this to compile a MySQL client by as follows: 

CFG=/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql_config
sh -c "gcc -o progname `$CFG --cflags` progname.c `$CFG --libs`"