How to Execute Shell Commands in MySQL

Can I issue shell commands under MySQL prompt? Yes, you can. You can do it by adding "! " (a backslash, a exclamation mark and a white space) before the shell command. For example, if you want to know present working directory, you can do it like this:
mysql> ! pwd
/root
Don't forget to add these characters before shell commands:

• a backslash
• a exclamation mark
• a white space