How to Install and Configure MySQL on Ubuntu

MySQL is one of the most popular relational database management systems. In this post, we’ll walk through a simple process to install and set up MySQL on Ubuntu.

Step 1: Update Your Package List
Before installing any new packages, update your local package index:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install MySQL Server
Install MySQL by running:

sudo apt install mysql-server

This command installs the MySQL server package and any required dependencies.

Step 3: Secure Your MySQL Installation
After installation, run the built-in security script to improve your MySQL configuration:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

You’ll be prompted to configure settings like:

Validating password plugins
Setting a strong root password
Removing anonymous users
Disabling remote root login
Removing the test database
Answer the prompts according to your security needs.

Step 4: Verify MySQL is Running
Check the status of the MySQL service to ensure it’s active:

sudo systemctl status mysql

If MySQL isn’t running, start it with:

sudo systemctl start mysql

Step 5: Log Into MySQL
Access the MySQL shell using the root account:

sudo mysql

From here, you can execute SQL commands to create databases, users, and manage your database server.

Step 6: Create a New Database and User (Optional)
For added security and organization, it’s a good idea to create a dedicated database and user rather than using the root account. Here’s an example:

Create a new database:

CREATE DATABASE my_database;

Create a new user and grant privileges:

CREATE USER 'myuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'mypassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON my_database.* TO 'myuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Replace my_database, myuser, and mypassword with your desired names and secure password.