What is best way to install MySQL 4.1?

[Robert L Cochran]

John Swartzentruber wrote:

> I think this is a more general question than just MySQL, so I'm asking
> it here.
>
> I am running FC3, which comes with MySQL 3.23. I would like to run a
> more recent version. I tried updating to version 4.1 using yum and the
> fedora-devel repository, but after downloading lots of updates and
> dependencies, it still ended up with an incompatibility and didn't do
> the update.
>
> I don't want to screw up my system, but I would like to have the more
> recent MySQL. What is the best way to do this?
>
> Similarly, what are the dangers of keeping the fedora-devel repository
> enabled? Once it updates things from that repository, can I go back?
>
I use MySQL 4.1.9. when I installed Fedora Core 3, I opted not to 
install php or any of the databases, and I think there is an option not 
to install dovecot which has a dependency on mysql-3*. Most of the time 
though I seem forced to manually uninstall dovecot and mysql with 'rpm 
-e'. I then download the rpm packages I want from mysql.com and install 
them with rpm -ivh.

Note: I back up my databases with mysqldump if I decide to upgrade an 
existing MySQL 4.1.x installation to a newer version.

When working with third party packages like this I'm sometimes uneasy 
about installing them if I know they won't follow the Fedora Core 
convention for file locations. I want a running database that works for 
my PHP scripts, so I install the binary packages without worrying about 
what locations binaries will install to. As long as the thing works 
after the rpm -ivh, why should I worry? This also holds true of stuff 
that I compile from source tarballs like postgresql-8.0.x. I don't care 
where they install to -- the default locations seem fine for now. The 
important thing is to have postmaster up and giving its databases lots 
of TLC and giving me access to same.

Bob Cochran