4.6.7. mysqlaccess — Client for Checking Access Privileges

mysqlaccess is a diagnostic tool that Yves Carlier has provided for the MySQL distribution. It checks the access privileges for a host name, user name, and database combination. Note that mysqlaccess checks access using only the user and db tables. It does not check table, column, or routine privileges specified in the tables_priv, columns_priv, or procs_priv tables.

Invoke mysqlaccess like this:

shell> mysqlaccess [host_name
        [user_name [db_name]]] [options]

mysqlaccess supports the following options.

Table 4.13. mysqlaccess Options

Format	Option File	Description
--brief	brief	Generate reports in single-line tabular format
--commit	commit	Copy the new access privileges from the temporary tables to the original grant tables
--copy	copy	Reload the temporary grant tables from original ones
--db=db_name	db	Specify the database name
--debug=#	debug	Specify the debug level
--help		Display help message and exit
--host=host_name	host	Connect to the MySQL server on the given host
--howto	howto	Display some examples that show how to use mysqlaccess
--old_server	old_server	Assume that the server is an old MySQL server (prior to MySQL 3.21)
--password[=password]	password	The password to use when connecting to the server
--plan	plan	Display suggestions and ideas for future releases
--preview	preview	Show the privilege differences after making changes to the temporary grant tables
--relnotes	relnotes	Display the release notes
--rhost=host_name	rhost	Connect to the MySQL server on the given host
--rollback	rollback	Undo the most recent changes to the temporary grant tables.
--spassword[=password]	spassword	The password to use when connecting to the server as the superuser
--superuser=user_name	superuser	Specify the user name for connecting as the superuser
--table	table	Generate reports in table format
--user=user_name,	user	MySQL user name to use when connecting to server
--version		Display version information and exit

--help, -?

Display a help message and exit.
--brief, -b

Generate reports in single-line tabular format.
--commit

Copy the new access privileges from the temporary tables to the original grant tables. The grant tables must be flushed for the new privileges to take effect. (For example, execute a mysqladmin reload command.)
--copy

Reload the temporary grant tables from original ones.
--db=db_name, -d db_name

Specify the database name.
--debug=N

Specify the debug level. N can be an integer from 0 to 3.
--host=host_name, -h host_name

The host name to use in the access privileges.
--howto

Display some examples that show how to use mysqlaccess.
--old_server

Assume that the server is an old MySQL server (before MySQL 3.21) that does not yet know how to handle full WHERE clauses.
--password[=password], -p[password]

The password to use when connecting to the server. If you omit the password value following the --password or -p option on the command line, mysqlaccess prompts for one.

Specifying a password on the command line should be considered insecure. See Section 6.1.2.1, "End-User Guidelines for Password Security".
--plan

Display suggestions and ideas for future releases.
--preview

Show the privilege differences after making changes to the temporary grant tables.
--relnotes

Display the release notes.
--rhost=host_name, -H host_name

Connect to the MySQL server on the given host.
--rollback

Undo the most recent changes to the temporary grant tables.
--spassword[=password], -P[password]

The password to use when connecting to the server as the superuser. If you omit the password value following the --spassword or -p option on the command line, mysqlaccess prompts for one.

Specifying a password on the command line should be considered insecure. See Section 6.1.2.1, "End-User Guidelines for Password Security".
--superuser=user_name, -U user_name

Specify the user name for connecting as the superuser.
--table, -t

Generate reports in table format.
--user=user_name, -u user_name

The user name to use in the access privileges.
--version, -v

Display version information and exit.

If your MySQL distribution is installed in some nonstandard location, you must change the location where mysqlaccess expects to find the mysql client. Edit the mysqlaccess script at approximately line 18. Search for a line that looks like this:

$MYSQL     = '/usr/local/bin/mysql';    # path to mysql executable

Change the path to reflect the location where mysql actually is stored on your system. If you do not do this, a Broken pipe error will occur when you run mysqlaccess.