How to choose the MySQL version to install

First, make a decision whether you want to use the latest development version or the final stable version. In the MySQL development process, there are several release series at the same time, each release at different stages of maturity:

· MySQL 5.2 is the latest developed release series that will perform new functions. Alpha releases can be used in the near future to allow for extensive testing by interested users.

· MySQL 5.1 is the current stable (product quality) Release series. Re-release for vulnerability fixes only, no new features that will affect stability.

· MySQL 5.0 is the first stable (product quality) Release series. Re-publish only for serious vulnerability fixes and security fixes;

· MySQL 4.0 and 3.23 are the old stable (product quality) Release series. This version is no longer in use and the new release is only used to fix particularly serious vulnerabilities (previous security issues).

We do not think there is a full freeze version, because any version requires a bug fix and other fixes. For "a certain degree of freezing," we mean that we can add something to the product release that doesn't affect the current job. Naturally, the previous series of related bug fixes will migrate to the back of the series.

Typically, if you are starting with MySQL for the first time or want to migrate it to some systems that do not have a binary distribution, we recommend using the final stable version. It is currently MySQL 5.1. We have used the MySQL benchmark to check all MySQL releases, including from the development series, and to test it with a benchmark suite before publishing.

If you are running an older system and want to upgrade, but do not want to risk a seamless upgrade, you should upgrade to the latest version of the same release series you are using (only the last part of the version number than you use the new). We've tried to fix only fatal bugs, and we've made minor, relatively safe changes to that version.

If you want to use the new features that are not available in the product release series, you can use the development series version. Please note that development releases are not as stable as product releases.

If you want to use the latest source code that contains all the latest patches and bug fixes, you can use our BitKeeper library. These libraries are not yet published, but you can preview the code and future releases are based on that code.

The MySQL naming mechanism uses a version number consisting of 3 digits and a suffix. For example, a version number like Mysql-5.0.9-beta explains:

• The 1th digit (5) is the major version number, which describes the file format. All version 5 distributions have the same file format.

• The 2nd digit (0) is the distribution level. The major version number and the release level are grouped together to form the release sequence number.

• The 3rd digit (9) is the version number of this release series, incremented with each new distribution. Usually you need the latest version (release) of the release that you have selected.

After each update, the last digit of the version string is incremented. If you add new features or have minor incompatibilities relative to the previous version, the second number of strings is incremented. If the file format changes, the first number increments.

The suffix shows the stability level of the release. Shows how to improve stability through a series of suffixes. The possible suffixes are:

Alpha indicates that the release contains a large number of new code that has not been thoroughly tested. Known defects should be recorded in the news section.

New commands and extensions are also available in most alpha versions. The alpha version may also be developed with major code changes. But we must test it before we release it.

Beta means that this version of the functionality is complete, and that all new code is tested without adding significant new features, and there should be no known bugs. When the alpha version does not have a reported fatal vulnerability for at least one months, and there is no plan to increase new functionality that results in an already implemented feature instability, the version becomes beta from the alpha version.

In future beta releases, releases, or product releases, all APIs, external visual structures, and SQL command columns are no longer changed.