How to Find the History Of Commands Run on MySQL?

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To find the history of commands run on MySQL, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open your MySQL command line interface or terminal.
  2. Log in to MySQL using appropriate credentials. For example: mysql -u username -p.
  3. Once logged in, you need to make sure MySQL is configured to store command history. This can be checked by running the following command: SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'history'; It should show the value of history as ON. If it is OFF, you can enable it by adding the following lines to your MySQL configuration file (usually located at /etc/my.cnf or /etc/mysql/my.cnf): [mysql] auto-rehash
  4. To check the command history, you can use the up and down arrow keys to navigate through previously executed commands. Each time you press the up arrow key, it will display the previously executed command.
  5. If you want to view the complete history of executed commands, you may need to examine MySQL log files. The exact location of log files depends on your configuration. Commonly, they can be found in the /var/log/mysql/ directory.
  6. Use a text editor or cat command to open and view the log files. Look for the log file with a name like mysql.log or mysqld.log.
  7. Within the log file, you will find entries mentioning the executed SQL commands, including queries, updates, or any other actions performed on the database server.
  8. Scroll through the log file to find the relevant commands and note the timestamps associated with them. The log entries typically contain the executed SQL command, along with relevant information like the user, client IP address, and timestamp.
  9. By examining the log file, you can reconstruct the history of commands run on MySQL, including both successful and failed commands.


Remember to exercise caution while accessing and examining log files, as they may contain sensitive information.

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What is the command to retrieve the previous commands executed in MySQL?

The command to retrieve the previous commands executed in MySQL is:

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SELECT * FROM mysql.history;



How to examine the history of ALTER TABLE commands executed on MySQL?

To examine the history of ALTER TABLE commands executed on MySQL, you can follow these steps:

  1. Enable the General Query Log: Open the MySQL configuration file (usually my.cnf or my.ini) and make sure the following line is present or uncommented: general_log = 1
  2. Specify the General Query Log File: Also in the MySQL configuration file, add or uncomment the following line to specify the log file path: general_log_file = /path/to/log/file.log
  3. Restart MySQL: Save the configuration file and restart the MySQL server for the changes to take effect.
  4. Examine the Log File: Open the log file specified in the configuration file. It will contain a detailed history of all executed queries, including ALTER TABLE commands. You can use any text editor or command-line tools (such as grep) to search for ALTER TABLE commands specifically.


Note: Enabling the general query log can have performance implications, so it's recommended to only enable it temporarily for troubleshooting purposes. Make sure to disable it again once you have obtained the required information.


Alternatively, you can use third-party tools or applications that provide more advanced query logging and analysis capabilities, such as MySQL Enterprise Audit or Percona Audit Log Plugin. These tools offer more flexibility and security options for monitoring and examining the history of ALTER TABLE commands executed on MySQL.


How to find the history of user privilege changes in MySQL?

To find the history of user privilege changes in MySQL, you can follow these steps:

  1. Enable the MySQL General Query Log: Open your MySQL configuration file (typically located at /etc/mysql/my.cnf or /etc/my.cnf), and under the [mysqld] section, add or uncomment the following line:
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general_log = 1


Save the file and restart the MySQL service.

  1. Review the General Query Log: MySQL will now start logging all queries, including user privilege changes, to a file specified in the MySQL configuration. By default, the log file is named hostname.log and is located in the MySQL data directory. You can find the location by running the following command:
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SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'general_log_file';


Once you know the log file's location, you can open it using a text editor or a command-line tool such as less or tail:

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sudo less /var/log/mysql/hostname.log


  1. Filter for user privilege changes: In the log file, search for keywords such as GRANT, REVOKE, CREATE USER, or DROP USER. These statements indicate changes in user privileges. You can use a text editor's search feature or a command-line tool like grep to filter for these keywords:
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sudo grep -i "GRANT\|REVOKE\|CREATE USER\|DROP USER" /var/log/mysql/hostname.log


The above command will display all lines containing any of the mentioned keywords, allowing you to see the historical changes made to user privileges.


Note: Enabling and keeping the general query log enabled for extended periods may result in large log files that consume disk space. Ensure you have enough disk space and consider disabling the general query log after troubleshooting or finding the required information.


What is the command to view the history of stored procedure creations in MySQL?

There is no specific command to directly view the history of stored procedure creations in MySQL as it does not maintain a default history log. However, you can check the creation time and modification time of stored procedures by querying the INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES table.


Here's an example query to retrieve the creation time and modification time of stored procedures in MySQL:

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SELECT ROUTINE_NAME, CREATED, LAST_ALTERED
FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.ROUTINES
WHERE ROUTINE_TYPE = 'PROCEDURE';


This query will display the name of the stored procedure, its creation time (CREATED column), and the last modification time (LAST_ALTERED column).


How to store the command history in a separate file in MySQL?

To store the command history in a separate file in MySQL, follow these steps:

  1. Open the MySQL configuration file. The location of this file may vary depending on your operating system and installation method. For example, in Linux, the file is usually located at /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf.
  2. Look for the general_log setting in the configuration file. By default, it is commented out with a leading #. Uncomment the line by removing the # symbol and set its value to 1. This enables the general query log. general_log = 1
  3. Specify the file path for the general log by adding the general_log_file setting. Set the value to the desired file path and name. Make sure that the MySQL server has the necessary permissions to write to this file. general_log_file = /path/to/log/file.log
  4. Save the changes and exit the configuration file.
  5. Restart the MySQL server for the changes to take effect. In Linux, you can use the following command: sudo service mysql restart The log file should now be created at the specified path.


Note: Enabling the general query log can impact the performance of the MySQL server, especially in production environments. Ensure that you disable or rotate the log file regularly to prevent it from growing too large and affecting the server performance.


What is the command to show the last executed query in MySQL?

To show the last executed query in MySQL, you can use the following command:

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SHOW FULL PROCESSLIST;


This command will display a list of all currently executing queries, with the most recent query at the top.

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