Hello all,

Decided, after a long time, to venture into the depths of MySQL... not such a bright idea, it seems.

Today, I installed MySQL 4.x on my 9.0 SuSE server, and typing 'mysqladmin version' came back with the expected result, so MySQL was obviously alive.

After that, however, I came across this guide on the net which told me to enter a password for the mysql database. Inevitably, it was different from my root and unprivileged user passwords. In fact it was so different that I managed to forget it... uh oh.

So I used this guide to try to reset the password, with no luck whatsoever. It came back with '-Sg is not a recognised command' or something along those lines.

I then uninstalled and then reinstalled MySQL to see if it would clear the files with the passwords in them (which I can't find either), and I had no luck.

So, as you may have guessed, my simple question is how on earth can I reset or change the password if I've forgotten it?

Do I have to reinstall the entire OS again? Please say no....

Thank you in advance.

If you have no data bases define you can run mysql_install_db

this will wipe out your mysql db and reset everything.

Wicked! Thanks ever so much mate,
I owe you a beer now!

Ronaldm.

Oops, I probably said that too soon - it doesn't seem to have worked;

Would anyone on this forum have any idea as to how to get around this problem? I think it's just bad syntax or something...

What would I need to tell you to know where I'm going wrong? I.e. config files etc...?

Sorry if it seems obvious of something, I'm just a bit a newbie when it comes to SQL and Linux

I'm going to work for this beer!

We are going to take out the big sledge hammer now ! Find out where mysql installs its db's, on my system it is /var/lib/mysql
as root cd to /var/lib/mysql

rm -rf *

then run
mysql_install_db

## This is what it looks like when I run that command ##########

root@bartleby:/var/lib/mysql# mysql_install_db
Installing all prepared tables
041218 10:12:27 /usr/libexec/mysqld: Shutdown Complete


To start mysqld at boot time you have to copy support-files/mysql.server
to the right place for your system

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SET A PASSWORD FOR THE MySQL root USER !
To do so, start the server, then issue the following commands:
/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'new-password'
/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root -h bartleby password 'new-password'
See the manual for more instructions.

NOTE: If you are upgrading from a MySQL <= 3.22.10 you should run
the /usr/bin/mysql_fix_privilege_tables. Otherwise you will not be
able to use the new GRANT command!

You can start the MySQL daemon with:
cd /usr ; /usr/bin/mysqld_safe &

You can test the MySQL daemon with the benchmarks in the 'sql-bench' directory:
cd sql-bench ; perl run-all-tests

Please report any problems with the /usr/bin/mysqlbug script!

The latest information about MySQL is available on the web at
http://www.mysql.com
Support MySQL by buying support/licenses at https://order.mysql.com

######### End results

now lets make sure mysql can read its own db's

cd /var/lib
chown -R mysql:mysql mysql

make sure mysql is not running

killall mysqld

mysqld_safe &
<press enter>

now you can log into mysql w/o a password

try
mysql

you should be in ... since its bad to run your db w/o a password do the following

exit the mysql program
\q

then run the following command but replace new-password with something you will remember
but keep the single quotes.

/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'new-password'

now try
mysql -u root -p
when prompted enter your password!

ok that should do it !

-Matt

Thank you ever so much, Matt!

Still came back with the same error though... this is what I did (I followed your method)

#####################################

linux:~ # rm -rf *
linux:~ # mysql_install_db
Installing all prepared tables
041218 15:28:15 /usr/sbin/mysqld: Shutdown Complete


PLEASE REMEMBER TO SET A PASSWORD FOR THE MySQL root USER !
This is done with:
/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'new-password'
/usr/bin/mysqladmin -u root -h linux password 'new-password'
See the manual for more instructions.

NOTE: If you are upgrading from a MySQL <= 3.22.10 you should run
the /usr/bin/mysql_fix_privilege_tables. Otherwise you will not be
able to use the new GRANT command!


You can test the MySQL daemon with the benchmarks in the 'sql-bench' directory:
cd sql-bench ; perl run-all-tests

Please report any problems with the /usr/bin/mysqlbug script!

The latest information about MySQL is available on the web at
http://www.mysql.com
Support MySQL by buying support/licenses at https://order.mysql.com

linux:~ # cd /var/lib
linux:/var/lib # chown -R mysql:mysql mysql
chown: `mysql:mysql': invalid group

##### I then created a group called 'mysql' and the users in the group were 'root' and 'server' ######

linux:/var/lib # chown -R mysql:mysql mysql
linux:/var/lib # killall mysqld
linux:/var/lib # mysqld_safe &
[3] 2572
linux:/var/lib # Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /var/lib/mysql
mysql
ERROR 1045: Access denied for user: 'root@localhost' (Using password: NO)
linux:/var/lib # mysql
ERROR 1045: Access denied for user: 'root@localhost' (Using password: NO)
linux:/var/lib # mysql -p
Enter password:

##### I then entered a blank password #####

ERROR 1045: Access denied for user: 'root@localhost' (Using password: YES)
linux:/var/lib #

########################################

Another thing worth mentioning is that when I ran all of this, it seemed to delete all the files on root's desktop; there was nothing there, of course, but it might be worth mentioning.

As ever, thank you very much.

Email me your addy so I can send you a beer

Ronaldm.

Anyone??!