Reset MySQL/MariaDB Root Password

Stop the database service

First, stop the running database server so we can restart it in a special mode that bypasses authentication.

sudo systemctl stop mariadb

If you're running MySQL instead of MariaDB, use mysql as the service name:

sudo systemctl stop mysql

Start in safe mode

Start the database server with grant tables disabled and networking off. This lets you connect as root without a password, and the --skip-networking flag ensures no remote connections can be made during this window.

sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &

Wait a few seconds for the server to start. You'll see output indicating the server is ready.

Connect without a password

Now connect to the database as root. Since grant tables are disabled, no password is required.

mysql -u root

You should see the MariaDB or MySQL prompt.

Reset the password

Re-enable the privilege system and set a new root password. For MariaDB 10.4+ and MySQL 5.7+:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'YourNewPassword';

For older MySQL versions (5.6 and below), use this syntax instead:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
SET PASSWORD FOR 'root'@'localhost' = PASSWORD('YourNewPassword');

Replace YourNewPassword with a strong password. Then exit:

EXIT;

Restart normally

Kill the safe-mode process and start the service normally:

sudo kill $(cat /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid)
sudo systemctl start mariadb

If the PID file doesn't exist, find the process with sudo pgrep -f mysqld_safe and kill it manually.

Verify

Test that the new password works:

mysql -u root -p

Enter your new password at the prompt. If you see the database shell, the reset was successful.