How to Export & Import Existing User (with its Privileges!)

Question

I have an existing MySQL instance (test), containing 2 databases and a few users each having different access privileges to each database.

I now need to duplicate one of

Answer 1

Here's what I'm using these days as part of my daily backup scripts (requires root shell and MySQL access, linux shell, and uses the mysql built-in schema:

First, I create a file /var/backup/mysqlroot.cnf containing the root password so I can automate my scripts and not hardcode any passwords in them:

[client]
password=(put your password here)

Then I create an export script which dumps create user commands and grants like this:

touch /var/backup/backup_sql.sh
chmod 700 /var/backup/backup_sql.sh
vi /var/backup/backup_sql.sh

And then write the following contents:

#!/bin/bash

mysql --defaults-extra-file=/var/backup/mysqlroot.cnf -sNe " \
  SELECT \
    CONCAT( 'CREATE USER \'', User, '\'@\'', Host, '\' IDENTIFIED BY \'', authentication_string, '\'\;' ) AS User \
  FROM mysql.user \
  WHERE \
    User NOT LIKE 'mysql.%' AND CONCAT( User, Host ) <> 'rootlocalhost' AND User <> 'debian-sys-maint' \
"

mysql --defaults-extra-file=/var/backup/mysqlroot.cnf -sNe " \
  SELECT \
    CONCAT( '\'', User, '\'@\'', Host, '\'' ) as User FROM mysql.user \
  WHERE \
    User NOT LIKE 'mysql.%' \
    AND CONCAT( User, Host ) <> 'rootlocalhost' \
    AND User <> 'debian-sys-maint' \
" | sort | while read u ; 
 do echo "-- $u"; mysql --defaults-extra-file=/var/backup/mysqlroot.cnf -sNe "show grants for $u" | sed 's/$/;/'
done

Then I just have to run it like this: /var/backup/backup_sql.sh > /tmp/exportusers.sql