First: I'm a newbie with MySQL. I downloaded the MYSQL Essentials,
version 5.0.24a and installed on my Windows XP machine. I'm reading the
manual at section 2.10.3. Securing the Initial MySQL Accounts, and it says:

"Two anonymous-user accounts are created, each with an empty username."

However, when I check the mysql.user table, I only find the "root" user.
So I wonder: is the manual in error, or are the anonymous user
accounts hidden somehow? That is, can I be sure to get ALL accounts when
I look in mysql.user?

Gustaf

Gustaf wrote:
> First: I'm a newbie with MySQL. I downloaded the MYSQL Essentials,
> version 5.0.24a and installed on my Windows XP machine. I'm reading the
> manual at section 2.10.3. Securing the Initial MySQL Accounts, and it says:
>
> "Two anonymous-user accounts are created, each with an empty username."

This documentation doesn't seem to take into account the "instance
configuration wizard" which is run by the installer on Windows. You can
also run this instance configuration wizard at any time:
"Start->Programs->MySQL->MySQL Server 5.0->MySQL Server Instance
Configuration Wizard"

Creation of the anonymous account is an optional step in the
configuration of MySQL. In the last screen in the instance
configuration wizard, you are prompted for the MySQL root password, and
also prompted to mark a checkbox to create the anonymous accounts. The
checkbox is not marked by default, so unless you checked it, it
shouldn't have created the anonymous accounts.

I just verified this by running the instance config wizard, marking the
checkbox for the anonymous accounts, and letting it finish the config.
Then I queried from the mysql.user table again, and it had two
additional rows, with blank strings in the `user` column.

Regards,
Bill K.

Bill Karwin wrote:

>> "Two anonymous-user accounts are created, each with an empty username."

> Creation of the anonymous account is an optional step in the
> configuration of MySQL. In the last screen in the instance
> configuration wizard, you are prompted for the MySQL root password, and
> also prompted to mark a checkbox to create the anonymous accounts. The
> checkbox is not marked by default, so unless you checked it, it
> shouldn't have created the anonymous accounts.

Many thanks. Nice research. :-)

Gustaf