Importing .sql file in MySQL via command line and phpMyAdmin

This documentation will demonstrate how to import a .sql file in MySQL using various methods. We can import the .sql file through the command line interface or the front-end application like phpMyAdmin. Let’s explore these methods now.

Importing .sql file in MySQL using the Command Line Interface

First, let’s see how to import the .sql file using the Command Line Interface. If you have a VPS or a Dedicated Server, it is recommended to perform this task via the CLI. If you are not confident in operating through the back-end, you can also import the database backups using a front-end application like phpMyAdmin, as explained in the later section. Follow the steps below to perform a MySQL import using the command line interface.

If you are the webmaster or website administrator, obtain the login credentials from our support section to ssh into the server.

1) Open the “Terminal” or “Console” on your PC.

2) Use the following command to SSH into the server (assuming you have root access to the server and the default SSH port is 22). Replace “*.*.*.*” with the IP address of your server.

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[root@system1 ~]# ssh root@*.*.*.*

The authenticity of host ‘*.*.*.*(*.*.*.*)’ can’t be established.

RSA key fingerprint is 12:35:61:32:e4:31:14:fe:12:6f:ac:c2:61:af:e2:40.

Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?

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The RSA key will be displayed. To connect, type “yes”.

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Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes

Warning: Permanently added ‘*.*.*.*’ (RSA) to the list of known hosts.

root@*.*.*.* password:

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3) Enter the password for the root user.

Now, you are inside the server as the user ‘root’. Now you need to open MySQL to perform the import operation. Enter the following command to proceed.

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[root@host ~]# mysql -u username -p

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Enter the password for the user. To import a backup file named ‘bak1.sql’ to the database ‘db1’, use the following command. You can also list the databases to confirm the database before importing, which can help avoid any typos.

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mysql> show databases;

+——————–+

| Database           |

+——————–+

| information_schema |

| cphulkd            |

| eximstats          |

| leechprotect       |

| modsec             |

| mysql              |

| performance_schema |

| db1                              |

| roundcube          |

+——————–+

9 rows in set (0.00 sec)

mysql>

mysql> db1 < bak1.sql

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4) The .sql file ‘bak1.sql’ is now imported to the database ‘db1’. You can close the mysql interface using the ‘exit’ command.

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mysql> exit

Bye

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5) To exit the server, use the following command.

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[root@host ~]# exit

logout

Connection to host.com closed.

[root@system1 ~]#

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These are the steps to import a .sql file from a backup to a database using the Command Line Interface.

Importing .sql file in MySQL using phpMyAdmin

The next method is importing the database backup using the phpMyAdmin interface.

Follow the steps below to perform the import using phpMyAdmin. You can access the application from the cPanel interface.

1) Log in to cPanel.

2) Open phpMyAdmin by clicking on the icon.

3) A new interface will open. Here, select the database that needs to be restored with the backup file.

4) After selecting the database, click on the ‘Import’ button, as shown in the figure below.

5) Choose the file to import from the interface.

6) Click on the ‘Go’ button to finalize the import.

After the process completes, a message will appear stating ‘Import has been successfully finished, ## queries executed.’

These are the methods to import a .sql file to a selected database using the Command Line Interface and phpMyAdmin interface.

If you require further assistance, please contact our support department.