User-owned MySQL database

[Matthew Saltzman]

I'm a bit new at this MySQL stuff.  I have users who, with no help from
me, have created their own MySQL databases.  The tbl* files live in the
user's own directory tree.

My question is, how did they do it?  I understand how to create databases
that live in /var/lib/mysql, but not how an unpriviledged user can do it
(unless it was done while there was no root password on the database), nor
how to get the tbl* files to live in the user's directory.  I've looked at
the MySQL manuals online, but I didn't spot any clues.

TIA.

-- 
		Matthew Saltzman

Clemson University Math Sciences
mjs AT clemson DOT edu
http://www.math.clemson.edu/~mjs