# MySql - Version Differences/Choice



## Ruler2112 (Jan 28, 2010)

I'm replacing a very tired RedHat server that's been randomly dying lately with FreeBSD.  One of the things that I need to install is MySql.  The RH box runs MySql 3.23.54, which was current when the box was put in.  I went to install MySql on FreeBSD and saw that there are ports for 3.23, 4.0, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, and 5.5.  OK - off to google I go.

After wading through a lot of flotsam (more-so than the invariable drivel turned up via online searches), I found a few pages commenting on the different versions.  However, most of them are old and others aren't all that helpful.  Some of the more interesting references I found follow.

The MySql Calendar indicates that active support for everything but 5.1 has ended.  Extended support for 5.0 is still available.

A guide to installing MySql on FreeBSD recommends 4.1, but the article is from 2005-10 and that was the production release at the time.

OK, so I go with either 5.0 or 5.1, assuming that 5.5 is the development version because it's not on the MySql calendar?  After reading a page that details the development process and overall quality of 5.1 and 5.0, I don't know if I want to go that way either.

A GUI for MySql indicates that a much larger percentage of people use 5.0 to 5.1 and 5.5 is well under 1%.  This could be due to people not upgrading though.

Another unrelated project recommends using MySql 4.1 for use with it.  This is just a recommendation for that specific project, but I find it interesting that there are so many later versions and they recommend 4.1.  Maybe I'm just reading too much into it.



Basically, MySql is going to be used only for pretty basic stuff.  I have a custom application that uses it, and it runs perfectly happily on 3.23 as it just executes standard SQL commands.  I'm going to be installing bandersnatch to log Jabber Instant Messages (something that I was never able to make work right on RH), but there's no specific MySql version recommended.  Stability and reliability are most important for this machine.

Does anybody have experience with the various versions of MySql and/or have advice as to what would be the best version for my application?


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## joint (Jan 29, 2010)

The MySQL 5.0 this is the version that I've got in use since the last 1,5 years.
I've never had any issues with it during that time, i.e. current production run.


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## jemate18 (Jan 29, 2010)

I still use 5.0

It works great... and I never had a problem with it.


If I'm not mistaken, it was the last version handled by MySQL AB before Sun took over. People say a lot has been changed since Sun bought MySQL. And now, I don't know under Oracle


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## SirDice (Jan 29, 2010)

I would use either 5.0 or 5.1. A lot of other applications seem to work fine with those versions. The newer ones tend to be slightly incompatible.


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## Ruler2112 (Jan 29, 2010)

Thanks for the responses.  I decided to go with 5.1 and will report back if I have trouble with it crashing due to the bugs listed above or if they've fixed them since that article was written.

I was surprised at how much their home page has changed... it's nearly impossible to find anything useful there anymore.


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## phoenix (Jan 29, 2010)

Not sure how correct the data is now, but back in the early 7.0 days, Jeff Roberson and Kris Kenneway did a bunch of benchmarking and found that MySQL 5.0 ran the best on FreeBSD.  MySQL 5.1 performance dropped off quite a bit in comparison.


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## virgil (Feb 17, 2010)

Ruler2112 said:
			
		

> Thanks for the responses.  I decided to go with 5.1 and will report back if I have trouble with it crashing due to the bugs listed above or if they've fixed them since that article was written.



If you have the time, please post a summary of your experience with 5.1.  I've been running 5.0 without incident for several years but I cheat; I follow the DEFAULT_MYSQL_VER in bsd.database.mk.  I check a couple times a year but it has been 50 for 3.5 years now so I'm curious.  Thanks.  -virgil


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## Ruler2112 (Feb 17, 2010)

So far, so good.  I've had no trouble, but I'm using it very lightly at present.


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