For MySQL 5.5.8 or above version：

 configure in configuration my.cnf file:

 

[mysqld] autocommit=0


Before 5.5.8, due to mysql has no global variables autocommit 

use workaround in my.cnf:

 

[mysqld]
init_connect='SET autocommit=0'

 

But the workaround has a limitation , The content of init_connect is not executed for users that have the SUPER privilege.

 

 

Below is the original description from Manual  book:

http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.5/en/server-system-variables.html#sysvar_init_connect

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init_connect

Command-Line Format --init-connect=name
Option-File Format init_connect
Option Sets Variable Yes, init_connect
Variable Name init_connect
Variable Scope Global
Dynamic Variable Yes
  Permitted Values
Type string

A string to be executed by the server for each client that connects. The string consists of one or more SQLstatements, separated by semicolon characters. For example, each client session begins by default withautocommit mode enabled. For older servers (before MySQL 5.5.8), there is no global autocommit system variable to specify that autocommit should be disabled by default, but as a workaround init_connect can be used to achieve the same effect:

SET GLOBAL init_connect='SET autocommit=0';

The init_connect variable can also be set on the command line or in an option file. To set the variable as justshown using an option file, include these lines:

[mysqld]
init_connect='SET autocommit=0'

The content of init_connect is not executed for users that have the SUPER privilege. This is done so that anerroneous value for init_connect does not prevent all clients from connecting. For example, the value mightcontain a statement that has a syntax error, thus causing client connections to fail. Not executing init_connectfor users that have the SUPER privilege enables them to open a connection and fix the init_connect value.

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