MySQL safe mode allows you to start the MySQL server without loading the user privilege tables. This is helpful for recovery tasks like resetting the root password or addressing user authentication issues.
When MySQL is in safe mode, access to the database is unrestricted, enabling direct modification of user data without needing authentication.
Step 1: Stop MySQL Service
sudo systemctl stop mysql
Step 2: Start MySQL in Safe Mode
Start MySQL in safe mode with the --skip-grant-tables option to bypass authentication.
sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &
If you encounter an error about Directory '/var/run/mysqld' for UNIX socket file don't exists, run the following:
sudo mkdir -p /var/run/mysqld
sudo chown mysql:mysql /var/run/mysqld
sudo chmod 755 /var/run/mysqld
Step 3: Access MySQL
Open a new terminal window and log into the MySQL prompt as the root user without a password.
mysql -u root
Step 4: Set the Root Password
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password BY 'new_password';
EXIT;
Step 5: Restart MySQL Service
Restart the MySQL service to apply the new password and disable safe mode.
ps aux | grep mysql # Select the mysql PID
sudo kill MYSQL_PID
Step 6: Verify the New Password
Finally, log into MySQL with the new password to verify that the root password has been updated.
mysql -u root -p