What does it all mean?

[Doncho N. Gunchev]

On Tuesday 10 February 2004 16:37, live4bacon at optonline.net wrote:
> So reading through some messages today I thought I would take a look at:
> 'ps -ef | grep mysql'   Which I assume tells me who owns/started the Mysql
> processes?  And I know it is not a good for Mysql to run as root so I was 
> curious as to whether this is the expected output and if not what do I 
> need to do to fix it?   
> 
> 
> root      4023     1  0 Feb08 ?        00:00:00 /bin/sh /usr/bin/safe_mysqld --defaults-file=/etc/my.cnf
  This script is run as root. It will start your real mysqld

> mysql     4047  4023  0 Feb08 ?        00:00:01 /usr/libexec/mysqld --defaults-file=/etc/my.cnf --basedir=/usr --datadir=/var/lib/mysql --user=mysql --pid-file=/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid --skip-locking
  This is the 'real' mysqld, safe_mysqld is a shell script - look at it:
--- cut ---
#!/bin/sh
# Copyright Abandoned 1996 TCX DataKonsult AB & Monty Program KB & Detron HB
# This file is public domain and comes with NO WARRANTY of any kind
#
# scripts to start the MySQL daemon and restart it if it dies unexpectedly
...
--- cut ---
  ... so, mysqld just starts as root and then drops it's privileges. Apache
for example needs root privileges to bind to port 80, but only the first
process starts and runs with root privileges - all communication with the
client is done from a child that has dropped it's privileges. I see nothing
to worry about here ;)

> 
> Thanks,
> JP
> 

-- 
Regards,
  Doncho N. Gunchev
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