By Alan Berg
Welcome to an introduction for the beginner to the basic manipulation of the MySQL database with free software. The purpose of this article is to show how universally straightforward it is to get started with installing and applying a high-grade enterprise ready database like MySQL, and to learn how to manipulate it via numerous free software approaches.
I will explain how to setup MySQL and a few client helper tools to enter data; I will also cover PhpMyAdmin, a well known and highly deployed administration tool for MySQL. Finally, I will look at the Perl programming language as an easily accessible vehicle to database manipulation.
One obvious warning: installing server software has inherent risks such as security and accidental deletion of files. A security related example is that the MySQL database sometimes comes cleanly installed with accounts with blank passwords, which are obvious targets for even the laziest hunter. Personally, I have an experimental machine that I reformat and cleanly install periodically and doesn’t hold any information valuable to the outside world.
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