### 5.1.17 Server-Side Help Support

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 MySQL Server supports a [`HELP`](help.html) statement that returns information from the MySQL Reference Manual (see [Section 13.8.3, “HELP Statement”](help.html)). This information is stored in several tables in the `mysql` schema (see [Section 5.3, “The mysql System Schema”](system-schema.html)). Proper operation of the [`HELP`](help.html) statement requires that these help tables be initialized.

 For a new installation of MySQL using a binary or source distribution on Unix, help-table content initialization occurs when you initialize the data directory (see [Section 2.10.1, “Initializing the Data Directory”](data-directory-initialization.html)). For an RPM distribution on Linux or binary distribution on Windows, content initialization occurs as part of the MySQL installation process.

 For a MySQL upgrade using a binary distribution, help-table content is upgraded automatically by the server as of MySQL 8.0.16. Prior to MySQL 8.0.16, the content is not upgraded automatically, but you can upgrade it manually. Locate the `fill_help_tables.sql` file in the `share` or `share/mysql` directory. Change location into that directory and process the file with the [**mysql**](mysql.html) client as follows:

```
mysql -u root -p mysql < fill_help_tables.sql
```

 The command shown here assumes that you connect to the server using an account such as `root` that has privileges for modifying tables in the `mysql` schema. Adjust the connection parameters as required.

 Prior to MySQL 8.0.16, if you are working with Git and a MySQL development source tree, the source tree contains only a “stub” version of `fill_help_tables.sql`. To obtain a non-stub copy, use one from a source or binary distribution.

Note

 Each MySQL series has its own series-specific reference manual, so help-table content is series specific as well. This has implications for replication because help-table content should match the MySQL series. If you load MySQL 8.0 help content into a MySQL 8.0 replication server, it does not make sense to replicate that content to a replica server from a different MySQL series and for which that content is not appropriate. For this reason, as you upgrade individual servers in a replication scenario, you should upgrade each server's help tables, using the instructions given earlier. (Manual help-content upgrade is necessary only for replication servers from versions lower than 8.0.16. As mentioned in the preceding instructions, content upgrades occur automatically as of MySQL 8.0.16.)

