o6asan's soliloquy.

   phpMyAdmin has an infrastructure named Configuration storage since version 3.4.2. Logging in phpMyAdmin at the first time, you have the message “The phpMyAdmin configuration storage is not completely configured, some extended features have been deactivated. To find out why click here.” because this is deactivated by default. When activated, you can use features like bookmarks, comments, SQL history, relations, PDF schema, and MIME transformations. For me, bookmarks feature is convenient. Well, I’m going to write how to activate it.
   By the way, when we install phpMyAdmin on our servers, we must consider a lot of things for secure. But I don’t write about it here. Please read Official Documentation and take full responsibility for your actions.

   At the very first time for activating this, you need to take the following three steps.

1. Create a user and its database by create_tables.sql in MySQL.
2. Make the above user to a control user
3. Customize your config.inc.php.

   Now, I’ll start.

1. Open the file create_tables.sql by a text editor and uncomment the next two lines.
   ————
   GRANT SELECT, INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE ON `phpmyadmin`.* TO
   ‘pma’@localhost;
   ————

   Log in your phpMyAdmin as a root and import the create_tables.sql. After that you have a database phpmyadmin and a user pma with no password.

   Note) In my opinion, you’d better change the names of database and user to other unique names because there are a lot of mal-attacks given clues by them. Editing the create_tables.sql before your import can makes this easy and possible.

2. Input following statements from the phpMyAdmin SQL Query window.
   ————
   GRANT USAGE ON mysql.* TO ‘pma’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘pmapass’;
   GRANT SELECT (
   Host, User, Select_priv, Insert_priv, Update_priv, Delete_priv,
   Create_priv, Drop_priv, Reload_priv, Shutdown_priv, Process_priv,
   File_priv, Grant_priv, References_priv, Index_priv, Alter_priv,
   Show_db_priv, Super_priv, Create_tmp_table_priv, Lock_tables_priv,
   Execute_priv, Repl_slave_priv, Repl_client_priv
   ) ON mysql.user TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
   GRANT SELECT ON mysql.db TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
   GRANT SELECT ON mysql.host TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
   GRANT SELECT (Host, Db, User, Table_name, Table_priv, Column_priv)
   ON mysql.tables_priv TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
   ————
   Of course, you should change ‘pmapass’ to ‘your proper controluser password’. If you use your pmadb database name and a controluser name instead of phpmyadmin and pma, you also need to edit them.
    
   Log out your phpMyAdmin.
3. Open your config.inc.php and uncomment the following twenty lines. If you use your pmadb database name and a controluser name instead of phpmyadmin and pma, you also need to edit them. Of course, about pmapass.
   ————
   /*
   * phpMyAdmin configuration storage settings.
   */

   /* User used to manipulate with storage */
   // $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘controlhost’] = ”;　⇐It’s need or not depends on your environment.
   // $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘controlport’] = ”;　⇐It’s need or not depends on your environment.
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘controluser’] = ‘pma’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘controlpass’] = ‘pmapass’;

   /* Storage database and tables */
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘pmadb’] = ‘phpmyadmin’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘bookmarktable’] = ‘pma__bookmark’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘relation’] = ‘pma__relation’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘table_info’] = ‘pma__table_info’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘table_coords’] = ‘pma__table_coords’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘pdf_pages’] = ‘pma__pdf_pages’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘column_info’] = ‘pma__column_info’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘history’] = ‘pma__history’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘table_uiprefs’] = ‘pma__table_uiprefs’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘tracking’] = ‘pma__tracking’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘designer_coords’] = ‘pma__designer_coords’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘userconfig’] = ‘pma__userconfig’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘recent’] = ‘pma__recent’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘favorite’] = ‘pma__favorite’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘users’] = ‘pma__users’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘usergroups’] = ‘pma__usergroups’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘navigationhiding’] = ‘pma__navigationhiding’;
   $cfg[‘Servers’][$i][‘savedsearches’] = ‘pma__savedsearches’;
   ————

   Log in your phpMyAdmin again.

   You don’t have the message “The phpMyAdmin configuration storage is not completely configured, some extended features have been deactivated. To find out why click here.” anymore.

   That’s it!

   You can use phpMyAdmin configuration storage features now.

Edit(Jul.5):
   I forgot to write.
   At upgrades, you simply re-import the new create_tables.sql file after backing up your database, importing the file will not overwrite existing data, but will create any new tables. After that, you maybe need to edit your config.inc.php file.
   You already have your control user, so you must not uncomment the lines in the create_tables.sql file. You also keep in mind about your pmadb database name and a controluser name instead of phpmyadmin and pma.

Edit2(Jul.9):
   When I wrote the reply for くりくりさん, I suddenly thought I am scared of 1. and 2. having the time lag. My sql server doesn’t have the open port to the Internet and it has the only one user, me! So, I might have no need for such nerve. But if you have much busier server than mine, such a server has more occasion that is attacked by someone. The time lag gives attackers that they penetrate your server as the new pma with no password. This I am scared!!

   Well, at first make a controluser with password and give it the privileges. After that, import the file create_tables.sql. My guess is this is better.

   Anyway, I’ll write my controluser current privileges:
————
GRANT USAGE ON *.* TO ‘pma’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY PASSWORD ‘pmapass’;
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON pma_main.* TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
GRANT SELECT (
Host, User, Select_priv, Insert_priv, Update_priv, Delete_priv,
Create_priv, Drop_priv, Reload_priv, Shutdown_priv, Process_priv,
File_priv, Grant_priv, References_priv, Index_priv, Alter_priv,
Show_db_priv, Super_priv, Create_tmp_table_priv, Lock_tables_priv,
Execute_priv, Repl_slave_priv, Repl_client_priv
) ON mysql.user TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
GRANT SELECT ON mysql.db TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
GRANT SELECT ON mysql.host TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
GRANT SELECT (Host, Db, User, Table_name, Table_priv, Column_priv)
ON mysql.tables_priv TO ‘pma’@’localhost’;
————

   The topic “How to see MySQL log by phpMyAdmin” came up on TODOS・何でも情報交換(Japanese). I checked out this and am going to write what I understood about this.
 
   If you use phpMyAdmin 4.0(maybe) or later, you can audit a status of MySQL servers by phpMyAdmin Monitor. When you log in your phpMyAdmin and go to Status > Monitor, you can reach the graphs. If your server works normal, I think the graphs are enough for you. However, if you need more information, you can refer a slow_query_log or a general_log there.

When you click “Instructions/Setup” at the Monitor page and have the following messages(Also see Fig.02), you have to set xxx_log to ‘ON’ and log_output to ‘TABLE’.
　　　slow_query_log and general_log are disabled.
　　　log_output is not set to TABLE.
 
   If you have enough privileges as a MySQL user, you can set the values by yourself. If not, you have to ask your system administrator. In most case only root users can set the values, if not such server circumstances are very dangerous, I bet.
   Your Server works, then I think you don’t need the general_log of your server but the slow_query_log. If you set them by yourself, you need to log in your MySQL as a root at any rate. If you can log in it as a root…
 
　　To use command line interface:
　　　SET GLOBAL slow_query_log = ON;
　　　SET GLOBAL log_output= TABLE;
 
　　To use phpMyAdmin:
　　　1.Select Variables on Menu with no database.
　　　　Input “slow query log” to the filter form and edit the value to ‘ON’
　　　　Save
　　　2.Input “log output” to the filter form and edit the value to ‘TABLE’
　　　　Save
 
   Log out as the root.

   Now you can use a “slow_query_log” from the Monitor of phpMyAdmin, when you log in as a root.
 
   By the way, when you restart mysqld, these settings have gone. If you want to stay the settings eternal, you should add the following lines to my.ini/my.cnf’s [mysqld] area.
　　　slow_query_log = ON
　　　log_output = TABLE
 
   As above, you can use a “slow_query_log” from the Monitor of phpMyAdmin as a root. However, this is less convenient. Don’t you think you’ll safely use it by a WordPress MySQL account? I think so, too. I asked くりくりさん on TODOS・何でも情報交換 “What privileges should I give a normal user who can use this feature?” He told me “It’s OK only for the database”.
   The slow_log table exists on the mysql database. So I did the following command.
 
　　　GRANT SELECT (lock_time, start_time, rows_examined, db, rows_sent, query_time, sql_text, user_host) ON mysql.slow_log TO ‘WP-user’@’localhost’;
 
   This is very limited privileges, so I think it’s acceptable.
 
   At this time, my WordPress MySQL account has the following privileges.
————
GRANT USAGE ON *.* TO ‘WP-user’@’localhost’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘passphrase’;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON WPdatabase.* TO ‘WP-user’@’localhost’;
GRANT SELECT (lock_time, start_time, rows_examined, db, rows_sent, query_time, sql_text, user_host) ON mysql.slow_log TO ‘WP-user’@’localhost’;
————