title: Is copying the /var/lib/mysql directory a good alternative to mysqldump?
body: <p>Since I'm making a full backup of my entire debian system, I was thinking if having a copy of <code>/var/lib/mysql</code> directory is a viable alternative to dumping tables with mysqldump.</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>are all informations needed contained in that directory?</li>
  <li>can single tables be imported in another mysql?</li>
  <li>can there be problems while restoring those files on a (probably slightly) different mysql server version?</li>
  </ul>