[[!meta title="How can I access my MySQL databases?"]]
First you’ll need to [sign up for sql.mit.edu](/faq/66).

After that, you must use the
[sql.mit.edu web interface](http://sql.mit.edu/) to
**create and drop databases**. A regular MySQL client, such as
[phpMyAdmin](http://scripts.mit.edu/~sql/phpMyAdmin/) (described
below), cannot be used for these operations.

**All other SQL commands** can be issued from any host, client,
and/or script of your choice; simply connect to the MySQL server at
`sql.mit.edu` using your new MySQL username and password. You can
also access your databases using an online web interface called
[phpMyAdmin](http://scripts.mit.edu/~sql/phpMyAdmin/).