title: How can I explore mysql database files (*.frm, *.myd and *.myi) without MySQL?
body: <p>The old versions of our product allowed to capture the current state of the system in a single archive file, which also contains the MySQL database files - lots of <strong>&lt;XXX.frm, XXX.myd, XXX.myi&gt;</strong> triples . </p>
  
  <p>Now we have the next generation of the product, which does not do anything stupid like capturing the database files, but it must know to read the archives produced by the old versions.</p>
  
  <p>Our product is a commercial closed source product, but it is not very expensive. We had to stop using MySQL, because of the second reason (Oracle has changed the MySQL licensing) and we cannot use MariaDB, because of the first one (their licensing freaked the s*t out of the company lawer).</p>
  
  <p>So, my question is there another way to read these MySQL database files? A commercial light weight solution is fine - after all, we are talking about read-only exploration of the database files. Free/Open Source alternatives are welcome too, as long as they do not mean that the code using them must be Open Source too.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks.</p>
  
  <p><strong>EDIT</strong></p>
  
  <p>Besides the issue whether I can or cannot continue using the old version of MySql to read the old MySql database files, the question remains how can I read them? I mean, MySql is no longer our database, so even if I can bundle with the old MySql implementation, do I have to install the full blown database engine to just read the files? I'd rather avoid that.</p>