MySQL case sensitive in linux

MySQL table names are case-sensitive depending on the filesystem of the server. e.g. insensitive on Windows & Mac HFS+, Case sensitive on Unix.

It means that if you have stored the table PIPPO (upper case) in your database, the select query:
select * from pippo
doesn't work and it returns a message like ..."table pippo doesn't exist".
In order to prevent this problem you have to set set lower_case_table_names=1 in your /etc/mysql/my.cnf file. In this way the mysql server will store the table in the file system using lower case.
Here the steps I have followed:

1. Chek the status of lower_case_table_names typing: $ mysqladmin -uroot -p variables
   
2. $ sudo gedit /etc/mysql/my.cnf
   
3. edit the file adding the entry lower_case_table_names=1 just under the group definition: [mysqld]
   
[mysqld]
#
# * Basic Settings
#

#
# * IMPORTANT
# If you make changes to these settings and your system uses apparmor, you may
# also need to also adjust /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld.
#

lower_case_table_names=1

user = mysql
pid-file = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
socket = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
port = 3306
basedir = /usr
datadir = /var/lib/mysql
tmpdir = /tmp
language = /usr/share/mysql/english
skip-external-locking

   
4. shutdown the mysqlserver: $ mysqladmin -uroot -p shutdown
   
5. start the mysqlserver: $ sudo mysqld &
   
6. Chek the new status of lower_case_table_names typing: $ mysqladmin -uroot -p variables
   
7. Remember that you have to re store the tables in the database, the best way to do that is dropping your database and running the SQL script.
   
8. Test if works running a query like $ select * from pippo supposing you have stored PIPPO upper case
   

I ran this configuration with ubuntu 8.0.4, dell XPS1530, mysql 5-0
Enjoy with MySQL on linux.