Bash shell script to shrink the MySQL metadata file and restore disk space. This script should work with all MySQL variants such as Percona and MariaDB.

Overview:

Over time, MySQL databases are added and tables are populated which can cause the /var/lib/mysql/ibdata1 metadata file to grow. This script makes it easy to shrink this file and recover valuable disk space. The script is based loosely on the steps outlined here: http://dba.stackexchange.com/questions/8982/what-is-the-best-way-to-reduce-the-size-of-ibdata-in-mysql.

Installation:

$ git clone https://github.com/uberhacker/shrink-ibdata1.git
$ sudo mv shrink-ibdata1/shrink /usr/local/bin

Usage:

$ shrink [-k]

Use the -k switch to keep backups instead of restoring the databases

Examples:

To shrink the MySQL metadata file and restore the databases:

$ shrink

To shrink the MySQL metadata file and keep the backups instead of restoring the databases:

$ shrink -k

You might want to do this if you wish to clear out MySQL of any existing databases.

Warning: Make a backup of your databases just in case

Although this script will perform a backup and restore of the databases, it is still advisable to make your own backup of /var/lib/mysql and all the databases prior to using.