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MySQL is a powerful database engine (from my side of view ;-)) But it also might have several problem. Ie: a corrupted table after database crash.

Here the simple way to backup your MySQL database or table from command line.

Let's start...

To backup:

Login to your server via SSH.

I'm usually using the following format:

mysqldump -u [username] -p [database_name] [table_name] > [backup_filename]

To backup a database:

mysqldump -u myuser -p myuser_db > myuser_db.sql

To backup a specific table:

mysqldump -u myuser -p myuser_db sometable > myuser_db_sometable.sql

After executing the command it'll ask for password. This is not your server username password but MySQL username password.

The resulted file is a SQL file, we can do import it directly to MySQL.

Optional: you can compress the file to save bandwidth if you need to transfer it.
Compress with zip:

zip -9 myuser_db_sometable.zip myuser_db_sometable.sql

The "-9" option is for compress better, means highly compressed. If time is the essence, use "-1" option, it compress faster -- it also means, the resulted file size will probably bigger than "-9" option. To store only -- without compressing, use "-0" option.

To import:

Login to your server via SSH.

Optional: If the backup file is compressed with zip.
Uncompress it.

unzip myuser_db_sometable.zip

Login to your MySQL console:

mysql -u myuser -p

Select a database:

use myuser_db;

Import the backup file:

\. myuser_db_sometable.sql

Exit MySQL console:

\q

To get help in MySQL console, type:

\h

Good luck!