Command Options for Connecting to the Server mysql --host=localhost --protocol=TCP --protocol  Value Transport Protocol Used Applicable Platforms TCP TCP/IP transport to local or remote server All SOCKET Unix socket-file transport to local server Unix and Unix-like systems PIPE Named-pipe transport to local server Windows MEMORY Shared-memory transport to local server Windows The following table shows the permissible  --protocol  option values and indicates the applicable platforms for each value. The values are not case-sensitive. See also Section 4.2.7, “Connection Transport Protocols” On Windows, the shared-memory name to use for connections made using shared memory to a local server. The default value is  MYSQL . The shared-memory name is case-sensitive. This option applies only if the server was started with the  shared_memory  system variable enabled to support shared-memory connections. On Unix, the name of the Unix socket file to use for connections made using a named pipe to a local server. The default Unix socket file name is  /tmp/mysql.sock . On Windows, the name of the named pipe to use for connections to a local server. The default Windows pipe name is  MySQL . The pipe name is not case-sensitive. On Windows, this option applies only if the server was started with the  named_pipe  system variable enabled to support named-pipe connections. In addition, the user making the connection must be a member of the Windows group specified by the  named_pipe_full_access_group  system variable. The user name of the MySQL account to use for connecting to the server. The default user name is ODBC  on Windows or your Unix login name on Unix. This section describes options for client programs that specify whether to use encrypted connections to the server, the names of certificate and key files, and other parameters related to encrypted-connection support. For examples of suggested use and how to check whether a connection is encrypted, see Section 6.3.1, “Configuring MySQL to Use Encrypted Connections” . These options have an effect only for connections that use a transport protocol subject to encryption; that is, TCP/IP and Unix socket-file connections. See Section 4.2.7, “Connection Transport Protocols” 358 Note Command Options for Encrypted Connections • --user= user_name ,  -u  user_name • --socket= path ,  -S  path • --shared-memory-base-name= name