Examine this statement and output: What causes the error?

Question

Options

• AThe engine is disabled.
• BThe set local_infile option has not been enabled.
• CThe database user does not have sufficient privilege.
• DThe database server process does not have sufficient privilege.
• EThe database client process does not have sufficient privilege.
• FThe database server is running in read-only mode.

• A
  3% (2)
• B
  13% (8)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  76% (47)
• E
  2% (1)
• F
  5% (3)

Explanation

Option D is correct because LOAD DATA INFILE causes the MySQL server process (typically running as the OS user mysql) to read the specified file directly from the server's filesystem. If the OS-level file permissions deny read access to that system user, MySQL throws an OS-level "Permission denied" error (errno 13), regardless of what the SQL user is allowed to do.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A - The storage engine has no bearing on the server's ability to read a file from the filesystem.
• B - local_infile is only relevant for LOAD DATA **LOCAL** INFILE (client-side loading); a standard LOAD DATA INFILE doesn't use it, and the error would explicitly mention local_infile being disabled.
• C - Insufficient SQL-level FILE privilege produces a MySQL access-denied error in the SQL layer, not an OS-level permission error; the error message wording is distinct.
• E - The client process doesn't touch the file in non-LOCAL mode; only the server process reads it, so client OS permissions are irrelevant here.
• F - Read-only mode blocks INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE on tables, not the act of the server reading a file from disk.

Memory tip: Ask yourself "Who physically opens the file?" - for LOAD DATA INFILE, it's the server daemon, so think server OS permissions, not SQL privileges or client permissions.

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