How to Edit the MySQL my.cnf File

VPS and Dedicated server customers with root access can change their MySQL settings in the my.cnf file. To do this, you simply log in the server and edit the my.cnf file using Nano. This article will explain the steps to view and edit your my.cnf file.

How to view MySQL settings in the my.cnf file

1. Login to your server via SSH
2. To view the MySQL my.cnf settings type the following:

   cat /etc/my.cnf

    

   The contents of the my.cnf file will display similar to the snapshot to the right.
   

Editing the MySQL my.cnf file

1. Login to your server via SSH
2. To edit the MySQL settings with nano type the following:

   nano /etc/my.cnf

   Note! There are several editors you can use in shell. Nano, Vim, or Emacs. This article will focus only on Nano.

   
   
3. Find the line to edit. For example, if you want to edit the max_connections, find the following line.

   max_connections=100

   
   

   To increase the max_connections to 110 change it to the following.

   max_connections=110

   
   
4. Enter Ctrl + O to "WriteOut" or save the settings.
5. Then Ctrl + X to exit.
6. Restart MySQL by typing the following.

   service mysql restart

   Now the max_connections is increased to 110 instead of 100.

Viewing the MySQL variables through shell.

1. Login to your server via SSH
2. Type the following command.

   mysqladmin variables

   The variables will display similar to the snapshot to the right.
   

Viewing MySQL variables in PhpMyAdmin

1. Log into your phpMyAdmin
2. Click the Variables tab at the top right.
   

   PhpMyAdmin will list all the variables and there settings on your server..