Log all queries in mysql

Is it possible for me to turn on audit logging on my mysql database?

I basically want to monitor all queries for an hour, and dump the log to a file.


(Note: For mysql-5.6+ this won't work. There's a solution that applies to mysql-5.6+ if you scroll down or click here.)

If you don't want or cannot restart the MySQL server you can proceed like this on your running server:

  • Create your log tables on the mysql database
  CREATE TABLE `slow_log` (
   `start_time` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP 
                          ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   `user_host` mediumtext NOT NULL,
   `query_time` time NOT NULL,
   `lock_time` time NOT NULL,
   `rows_sent` int(11) NOT NULL,
   `rows_examined` int(11) NOT NULL,
   `db` varchar(512) NOT NULL,
   `last_insert_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
   `insert_id` int(11) NOT NULL,
   `server_id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `sql_text` mediumtext NOT NULL,
   `thread_id` bigint(21) unsigned NOT NULL
  ) ENGINE=CSV DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 COMMENT='Slow log'
  CREATE TABLE `general_log` (
   `event_time` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
                          ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   `user_host` mediumtext NOT NULL,
   `thread_id` bigint(21) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `server_id` int(10) unsigned NOT NULL,
   `command_type` varchar(64) NOT NULL,
   `argument` mediumtext NOT NULL
  ) ENGINE=CSV DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 COMMENT='General log'
  • Enable Query logging on the database
SET global general_log = 1;
SET global log_output = 'table';
  • View the log
select * from mysql.general_log
  • Disable Query logging on the database
SET global general_log = 0;

Besides what I came across here, running the following was the simplest way to dump queries to a log file without restarting

SET global log_output = 'FILE';
SET global general_log_file='/Applications/MAMP/logs/mysql_general.log';
SET global general_log = 1;

can be turned off with

SET global general_log = 0;