MySQL Server 5.5.2-m2, a new version of the popular Open Source Database Management System, has been released and is considered of beta quality, so use caution if choosing to install it in a production environment. This release, called Betony, contains “m2” after the version number, signifying the 2nd milestone in the MySQL Development Cycle, which is designed to have GA (General Availability) releases more frequently in order to allow for faster implementation of new features and updates. Betony is a candidate for GA release, but is not guaranteed to be a GA release.

To install 5.5.2-m2, follow the MySQL installation documentation located at: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/installing.html, and be sure to read through the upgrade considerations located at: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/upgrading-from-previous-series.html. You can find a full list of the changes/improvements in 5.5.2-m2 at http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/news-5-5-2.html.