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1.3 Installing MySQL with the MSI Package »
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1.2. Choosing An Installation Package

For MySQL 5.1, there are three installation packages to choose from when installing MySQL on Windows:

  Packaging
Feature Essentials Complete Zip (No-install)
Installer Yes Yes No
Directory-only      
MySQL Server Instance Config Wizard Yes Yes No
Test Suite No Yes Yes
MySQL Server Yes Yes Yes
MySQL Client Programs Yes Yes Yes
C Headers/Libraries Yes Yes Yes
Embedded Server No Optional Yes
Scripts and Examples No Optional Yes

In the above table:

  • Yes indiciates that the component is installed by default.

  • No indicates that the component is not installed or included.

  • Optional indicates that the component is included with the package, but not installed unless explicitly requested using the Custom installation mode.

The workflow for installing using the MSI installer is shown below:

Figure 1.1. Installation Workflow for Windows using MSI

Installation Workflow for Windows using MSI

The workflow for installing using the MSI installer is shown below:

Figure 1.2. Installation Workflow for Windows using Zip

Installation Workflow for Windows using Zip

Note

For the Essentials and Complete packages in the MSI installer, you can select individual components to be installed by using the Custom mode, including disable the components confiurated for installation by default.

Full details on the components are suggested uses are provided below for reference:

  • Windows Essentials — this package has a file name similar to mysql-essential-5.1.47-win32.msi and is supplied as a Microsoft Installer (MSI) package. The package includes the minimum set of files needed to install MySQL on Windows, including the MySQL Server Instance Config Wizard. This package does not include optional components such as the embedded server, developer headers and libraries or benchmark suite.

    To install using this package, see Section 1.3, “Installing MySQL with the MSI Package”.

  • Windows MSI Installer (Complete) — this package has a file name similar to mysql-5.1.47-win32.zip and contains all files needed for a complete Windows installation, including the MySQL Server Instance Config Wizard. This package includes optional components such as the embedded server and benchmark suite.

    To install using this package, see Section 1.3, “Installing MySQL with the MSI Package”.

  • Without installer — this package has a file name similar to mysql-noinstall-5.1.47-win32.zip and contains all the files found in the Complete install package, with the exception of the MySQL Server Instance Config Wizard. This package does not include an automated installer, and must be manually installed and configured.

The Essentials package is recommended for most users. Both the Essentials and Complete distributions are available as an .msi file for use with the Windows Installer. The Noinstall distribution is packaged as Zip archives. To use Zip archives, you must have a tool that can unpack .zip files.

When using the MSI installers you can automate the installation process. For more information, see Section 1.3.2, “Installing MySQL Automatically using MSI”. To automate the creation of a MySQL instance, see Section 1.4.13, “Creating an Instance from the Command Line”.

Your choice of install package affects the installation process you must follow. If you choose to install either the Essentials or Complete install packages, see Section 1.3, “Installing MySQL with the MSI Package”. If you choose to install MySQL from the Noinstall archive, see Section 1.5, “Installing MySQL from a noinstall Zip Archive”.