The MySQL protocol underpins seamless communication between applications and databases, yet its inner workings often remain hidden behind libraries like PDO or MySQLi. This article embarks on a journey to implement the MySQL protocol in pure PHP, offering an in-depth look at packet structures, authentication flows, and query execution. Whether for learning, innovation, or debugging, this exploration reveals the unseen architecture powering MySQL/MariaDB. by Bohuslav Šimek