MySQL Transport Protocol Used

Question

How can I find out which Transport Protocol MySQL is using? I know how I can change it but I don't know how to show the current one.

Answer 1

There are two passive ways to find that out

1. Connection Status
2. MySQL Prompt

EXAMPLE

If you execute the status command (\s)

mysql> \s

you get this output

MySQL://localhost/root/mysqld.sock/(none)> \s
--------------
mysql  Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.7.26, for Linux (x86_64) using  EditLine wrapper
Connection id:          3
Current database:
Current user:           root@localhost
SSL:                    Not in use
Current pager:          stdout
Using outfile:          ''
Using delimiter:        ;
Server version:         5.7.26 MySQL Community Server (GPL)
Protocol version:       10
Connection:             Localhost via UNIX socket
Server characterset:    latin1
Db     characterset:    latin1
Client characterset:    latin1
Conn.  characterset:    latin1
UNIX socket:            /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
Uptime:                 10 min 57 sec
Threads: 1  Questions: 24  Slow queries: 0  Opens: 109  Flush tables: 1  Open tables: 28  Queries per second avg: 0.036
MySQL://localhost/root/mysqld.sock/(none)>

Just under Protocol version, you see how I am connected:

Protocol version:       10
Connection:             Localhost via UNIX socket

Another method would be to look at your MySQL prompt, provided you configured the prompt display. Please note my current prompt:

MySQL://localhost/root/mysqld.sock/(none)>

I have it set in .my.cnf under the [mysql] group header

[mysql]
prompt="MySQL://\h/\u/\p/\d> "

The \h echoes the host address and \p echoes the port number in use. in my case, since it echoes localhost and mysqld.sock , it is not using TCP/IP. If it were using TCP/IP, it should echo 127.0.0.1 and 3306.

If you want to try connect with TCP/IP, you have to use --protocol as you mentioned:

#> mysql -h127.0.0.1 --protocol=tcp -uroot -p

Answer 2

I don't think there is a variable for that.

As it makes basically no different, if you use on a local machine (names pipes windows only / Sockets linux only ) or tcp/ip.

When you try to connect from another machine you can use only tcp/ip

When you connect to a local host with -h localhost then the client will first try to use names pipes/sockets and when that fails it will try tcp/ip.

If you connect with -h 127.0.0.1 the client will use only tcp/ip