How to install MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04

MySQL is an important tool for database management. The software can be used on Ubuntu. We will guide you through process of installing MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04.

What are the requirements for MySQL on Ubuntu?

The combination of Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP is commonly used in the LAMP server. MySQL is an open-source database management system which plays a major role in this stack. Oracle set up this relational system in 1995 and it has become one of the most used tools for managing and structuring data in the world. We’ll explain how to install MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04. If you want to learn how to use the software, you will find all the details in our MySQL tutorial.

Installing MySQL on Ubuntu has some requirements. You will need an Ubuntu server. You also need to have root privileges and set up a firewall with UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall). The installation itself is relatively simple. We will guide you through the entire process to make sure you don’t miss a step, including all the Linux commands used in the process.

Step 1: Update your system

Make sure that your system is up to date before you start installing MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04. The easiest way to do this is by using the Linux apt command:

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt list --upgradable
$ sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04

You can start installing MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04. The following command will automatically install the latest version of the software:

$ sudo apt install mysql-server

If you want to install a different version, use the following command to get an overview of the available options:

$ sudo apt-cache mysql-server

Once the installation is complete, use the following command to check if the server is working properly:

$ sudo systemctl start mysql.service

MySQL is now installed on Ubuntu, but the server hasn’t been configured. As this can pose a significant security risk, you should perform this step directly after the installation and then only work with this server thereafter. This will also prevent the system from displaying an error message.

Step 3: Set a password

Select a user password for MySQL. Proceed as follows:

$ sudo mysql
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY '[password]';
mysql > exit

Select a secure password and insert it in the [password] placeholder without the square brackets. Note that the password is not shown while typing.

Step 4: Take safety precautions

Call up the security script to choose important settings. The command is:

$ sudo mysql_secure_installation

The program will guide you through the next steps. For example, you can set the Validate Password Plugin to check the strength of a password. The user will be asked to choose a stronger password if an input is too weak. The strength can be set by entering 0 (weak), 1 (medium) or 2 (strong). The next step requires you to enter a password for the root. This input is also not shown. Confirm the new password. The strength of your input will be checked if the Validate Password Plugin is activated.

You can confirm the other options by entering Y. This command also deletes the anonymous test user that is stored from the beginning, or remove a test database. Type N to prevent these deletions.

Step 5: Change the authentication process

Close MySQL to apply all changes. Open the program again and change the authentication process for your root back to the original auth_socket method. Enter the following statements to do this:

$ mysql -u root -p
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH auth_socket;

This allows you to access MySQL again with the sudo command.

Step 6: Create an additional account

This account should only be used for administrative tasks as the root account that MySQL creates during installation on Ubuntu 22.04 has extensive powers. Use an additional account for working in databases. The following commands will create this account and give it the necessary rights:

$ sudo mysql
CREATE USER 'username'@'host' IDENTIFIED WITH authentication_plugin BY 'password';

Select the parameters username, host and password and insert the actual values. You can then start assigning certain privileges to this account. This basic command looks like this:

GRANT [privilege] ON [database].[table] TO 'username'@'host';

Write the privilege, the database, and the table without square brackets in the respective positions. You should change the username and host accordingly. If you want to assign multiple privileges to an account, write the privileges with commas one after the other. You can close MySQL once this step is complete. Use the following command to log in with this account in the future:

$ mysql -u username -p

Step 7: Check the status of MySQL

The installation of MySQL on Ubuntu 22.04 is complete. Finally, test the program’s status to ensure the program runs without any problems:

$ systemctl status mysql.service