Should I update my MySQL?

ElphieFabalaFae

I am currently running 4.0.23 on my computer, for localhost testing purposes only. But I was wondering if it was worth upgrading to the 5.1 version?

Is that process simple? I have databases and user profiles on my current MySQL server, would the new version just download and install over the top and overwrite the current stuff, or will it take the current workload into the new installment?

dagon

Chapter 2. Installing and Upgrading MySQL

ElphieFabalaFae

Okay, thanks for that! I assume that it is worth putting in the time to go through all the version upgrades to get to 5.1?

dagon

i would run locally the same version as where your hosting the site\files same as for php and everything else.

ElphieFabalaFae

Ok. One further question then:

The upgrading link you provided says you need to just go through each of the updates in series order until you reach 5.1

But the 4.1 pages says "When upgrading from versions of MySQL prior to 4.1.5, you must uninstall the existing version before installing a new version. Later versions may be upgraded with the installer without uninstalling."

That, to me, seems like two contratdicting statements, unless I am going to the wrong places to download the upgrades! is very confused 😕

In which case, if I have to uninstall the entire old service anyway, so I need to bother with the 4.1, then 5.0, then 5.1 upgrade, or can I just skip straight to the 5.1 upgrade?

Weedpacket

Err... what contradiction? It says that if your version is less than 4.1.5, it will need to be uninstalled first before installing the current version. If it's later than that (in other words, if it's 4.1.5 or greater) then it doesn't.

Since 4.0.23 is less than 4.1.5, it will need to be uninstalled before installing the current version.

And if you've uninstalled 4.0.23, then there's nothing installed, so there's nothing to upgrade and you just need to install the current version.

Recommend you make a backup of your database(s), perhaps as SQL dumps, before messing around with the installation.

ElphieFabalaFae

It was just the fact that it said you needed to go through each release - so 4.0 to 4.1 then 5.0 and then 5.1, or so I assumed until I read the other bit. But now I get there is no way around going from 4.0 to anything recent without uninstalling first.

ElphieFabalaFae

Weedpacket;10931021 wrote:
And if you've uninstalled 4.0.23, then there's nothing installed, so there's nothing to upgrade and you just need to install the current version.

Recommend you make a backup of your database(s), perhaps as SQL dumps, before messing around with the installation.

Well, that was much easier said than done. Or not do at all! I have now managed to mess up my MySQL totally! :eek: I didn't find following the MySQL manual easy at all! My mysqlshow command is only showing information schema and test databases; I'm not even getting the mysql database, yet it's there if I go to C:\mysql5\bin\data! What is that about?

Is there somewhere that has a dummies guide for upgrading from 4.0.23 to 5.1???? Or do I need to go right into the Control Panel and do Add/Remove program?

Roger_Ramjet

I recommend that you get and use the MySQL Tools to help with this. Use the migration tool to produce a dump of your db structure and data.
You can never have too many backups so take backups of your data files by every emans available to you.
Test your backups and dumps untill you are sure you can restore them without loosing anything.
Uninstall 4.whatever
Install 5.1 as a new clean install.
Use the mysql Query Browser to run he migration scripts produced and tested before. These will recreate your db and the data.

ElphieFabalaFae

Roger Ramjet;10931091 wrote:
1. I recommend that you get and use the MySQL Tools to help with this. Use the migration tool to produce a dump of your db structure and data.

You can never have too many backups so take backups of your data files by every emans available to you.

Test your backups and dumps untill you are sure you can restore them without loosing anything.

Uninstall 4.whatever

Install 5.1 as a new clean install.

Use the mysql Query Browser to run he migration scripts produced and tested before. These will recreate your db and the data.

Thanks for those tips. However, I fear they may be a little late in the process now! haha. I am just going to go for a complete uninstall, clean the computer of all MySQL and install with 5.1 as if there was never MySQL 4.anything running! I will have a look at the MySQL Tools though, but the idea of a clean install, using the Windows Configure Wizard is sounding very attractive right now!

I have already taken dumps of my current databases, and thankfully the few I have on my computer (most were taken over to my hosting account long before I went for any upgrades) are not too important if for some reason they did disappear!