Execute shell command from within a MySQL client?

Question

In oracle database, command "host" can be used to run bash command from database command window. Is there a equivalent command as "host" in mySql?

Answer 1

You can use the system command.

system command, \! command

Executes the given command using your default command interpreter.

The system command works only in Unix.

Example:

system ls -l

Answer 2

As an additional tweak, on most "'nix" systems you can actually do something like this:

mysql> system bash

And have the entire terminal at your disposal. This is particularly effective if you're doing code work in the terminal that interfaces with MySQL; from the shell, typing "exit" will take you back into the MySQL monitor/client, so you can go back and forth quite easily.

Obviously, other shells ("mysql> system tcsh") would work as well.