There is a possibility that if you are running an outdated version of MySQL, you might face compatibility issues that can be resolved by updating it. Newer versions of MySQL often include security updates and fixes. Keeping your system updated is an important step in preventing security flaws. Additionally, you will get superior speed and functionality by using the most recent version.
This guide will explain all methods using which you can check the MySQL Version on your Linux Systems, and the following points will be discussed.
- Reason to Check MySQL Version
- Checking the MySQL Version
- Using the ‘V’ command
- Using MySQL Shell
- Understanding the Naming Scheme of MySQL
Now, let’s get started by explaining each of the above in detail.
Reasons to Check MySQL Version
Certain features are discontinued, or new ones, along with bug fixes, are added with new version updates, which is why you should know if you’re using the latest version. It was first released in 1995, and there are multiple versions today.
EOL or end-of-life in the software world means the end of support, which means no more extended development on current versions, and the latest version of MySQL is 8.0 with EOL of April 2026.
Checking the MySQL Version
To check the version of MySQL, a few methods are explained below.
Using the ‘V’ command
The first method to check MySQL’s version is using the ‘V’ command, like in this format.
$ mysql -V
The above command only displays basic information about the current version and the OS it is installed on.
Using MySQL Shell
Another way of checking the current version of MySQL is from its shell; this command is used in Linux Terminal:
$ sudo mysql
As seen in the above image, we’ve viewed the current version of MySQL with other related details, and you may need SUDO privileges.
Now, after using the above command, some users may want more details which can be viewed from MySQL Shell using this command.
> SHOW VARIABLES LIKE ‘%version%’;
The above command gives detailed information about MySQL, including the current version and other related information.
If you still can’t find what you want, use the ‘STATUS’ command in MySQL Shell like this.
> STATUS
Using the above command, users can view the details about the version, uptime, and other helpful information.
Understanding the Naming Scheme of MySQL
You may have noticed that in this guide, as seen above, the MySQL version is 8.0.31, and here’s a breakdown.
The major version is represented by the starting number, which is ‘8’ in our case.
The minor version is represented by the second number, i.e., in our case, ‘0’. It also means the number of stable (new) features.
The number of bug fixes in the current version is represented by the ending numbers, which is ‘31’ in our case.
From the above information, you can get an idea of what the version of MySQL means with all those numbers.
Conclusion
Checking the current version of MySQL to know more about the current and upcoming features is always a good practice, as there can be some bugs that could, in a few cases, cause trouble. Following this guide, users can get detailed information about the current version of MySQL on Linux.
