brew install mysql on mac os

Question

I'm trying to setup up MySQL on mac os 10.6 using Homebrew by brew install mysql 5.1.52.

Everything goes well and I am also successful with the mysql_install_db.
However when I try to connect to the server using:

/usr/local/Cellar/mysql/5.1.52/bin/mysqladmin -u root password 'mypass'

I get:

/usr/local/Cellar/mysql/5.1.52/bin/mysqladmin: connect to server at 'localhost' 
failed error: 'Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)'

I've tried to access mysqladmin or mysql using -u root -proot as well,
but it doesn't work with or without password.

This is a brand new installation on a brand new machine and as far as I know the new installation must be accessible without a root password. I also tried:

/usr/local/Cellar/mysql/5.1.52/bin/mysql_secure_installation

but I also get

ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO)

Answer 1

If mysql is already installed

Stop mysql completely.

1. mysql.server stop <-- may need editing based on your version
2. ps -ef | grep mysql <-- lists processes with mysql in their name
3. kill [PID] <-- kill the processes by PID

Remove files. Instructions above are good. I'll add:

1. sudo find /. -name "*mysql*"
2. Using your judgement, rm -rf these files. Note that many programs have drivers for mysql which you do not want to remove. For example, don't delete stuff in a PHP install's directory. Do remove stuff in its own mysql directory.

Install

Hopefully you have homebrew. If not, download it.

I like to run brew as root, but I don't think you have to. Edit 2018: you can't run brew as root anymore

1. sudo brew update
2. sudo brew install cmake <-- dependency for mysql, useful
3. sudo brew install openssl <-- dependency for mysql, useful
4. sudo brew info mysql <-- skim through this... it gives you some idea of what's coming next
5. sudo brew install mysql --with-embedded; say done <-- Installs mysql with the embedded server. Tells you when it finishes (my install took 10 minutes)

Afterwards

1. sudo chown -R mysql /usr/local/var/mysql/ <-- mysql wouldn't work for me until I ran this command
2. sudo mysql.server start <-- once again, the exact syntax may vary
3. Create users in mysql (http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/create-user.html). Remember to add a password for the root user.

Answer 2

I had the same issue after I tried to restart mysql.

I use the following two aliases in my .profile for convenience

alias mysql-stop='launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist'
alias mysql-start='launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist' 

After stoping mysql and then trying to restart I experienced the issue you were having. I looked into the launchctl load and it was reporting a “nothing found to load” error.

After a quick search I found this..

http://www.daveoncode.com/2013/02/01/solve-mac-osx-launchctl-nothing-found-to-load-error/

So I updated me mysql-start alias as follows

alias mysql-start='launchctl load -w -F ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist'

This solved my issue which may be useful for you.