How to Show MySQL Variables

To obtain a complete list of mysql variables it is best to have the mysql service started. Then log in via the command line and type the command “show variables”. It will output a complete list of variables. Note that these variables can be set via the mysql command line or in the /etc/my.cnf file

mysql> show variables;
+-----------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Variable_name                           | Value                                                                                     |
+-----------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| auto_increment_increment                | 1                                                                                         |
| auto_increment_offset                   | 1                                                                                         |
| autocommit                              | ON                                                                                        |
....
274 rows in set (0.04 sec)

After setting any variables be sure to restart the mysql service

[root@computer ~]# /etc/init.d/mysqld restart
Stopping mysqld:                                           [  OK  ]
Starting mysqld:                                           [  OK  ]