Why do I see the MemSQL version as 5.5.8, even though that’s not the version of MemSQL I installed?

For compatibility with MySQL client software, SingleStore DB reports the version engine variable as 5.5.8. Client drivers look for this version to determine how to interact with the server.

This is not the SingleStore DB server version. The SingleStore DB server version can be found in the memsql_version engine variable, which can be queried like SELECT @@memsql_version.

As a result, certain MySQL clients may display the server version as 5.5.8, even though this is not the SingleStore DB version. For example, the mysql command line client may display

Server version: 5.5.8 MemSQL source distribution (compatible; MySQL Enterprise & MySQL Commercial)

when you connect to SingleStore DB.