# A \*nix command line question

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/a-nix-command-line-question/86666>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [April 14, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/a-nix-command-line-question/86666 "2005-04-14T18:57:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cadmiumgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@cadmiumgreen](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/cadmiumgreen)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 6:57pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/a-nix-command-line-question/86666/1 "2005-04-14T18:57:43Z")

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hello forum and \*nix users,

i recently bought and tried out a new PHP/MySQL book from sitepoint.  
And i have a question…

Can someone please explain to me what the double dashes mean in the following command (–user=mysql), or for that matter, any command?

# scripts/mysql\_install\_db --user=mysql

…it bothers me because the book doesn’t explain its significance  
thanks guys!  
-cadmiumgreen