Is a portable version of MySQL for Linux available?

Question

Is a portable version of MySQL for Linux available?

Answer 1

You don't need to "install" mysql. Its binaries will run from any directory (given appropriate search paths etc), and its configuration can be specified entirely on the command-line, if necessary, bypassing the likes of /etc/my.cnf, or by specifying an alternative config file with arbitrary path.

Some engines can work with a readonly data directory (MyISAM, Archive), others may require a read/write data directory (Innodb) but that could be a temporary area or ramdisc.

There's nothing "un-portable" about MySQL.

Answer 2

To have a Portable Version of MySQL in linux, you can compile it to a Generic location

./configure --prefix=/myworkspace/installs/mysql --exec-prefix=/myworkspace/installs/mysql 

Then usual

make
make install

this will install mysql on /myworkspace/installs/mysql. Then you can zip the whole mysql folder and can take it anywhere except you can run it from the same directory structure you have installed. Compiling mysql requires some dependencies, check it out here http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.6/en/source-installation.html . If you install these dependencies also in /myworkspace/installs/mysqldepends/ , then your mysql is totally portable.