Reset your MySQL or MariaDB root password when you no longer have the old one. If you have server access and a sudo user, you can recover root using skip-gra…

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Step-by-step guide to resetting a forgotten MySQL or MariaDB root password on Linux without the old password. Covers two methods: the quick skip-grant-tables approach (with --skip-networking for safety) and the safer --init-file method recommended for production. Includes version-specific SQL syntax for MySQL 5.7, 8.0+, and MariaDB 10.1–10.4+, service management commands for Debian/Ubuntu and RHEL-based distros, authentication plugin differences (caching_sha2_password vs unix_socket), and a troubleshooting section for common errors like plugin mismatches and missing mysqld_safe.

How To Reset Your MySQL or MariaDB Root Password

Step 1 — Identifying the Database Version

Step 3 — Restarting the Database Server Without Permission Checking

Step 5 — Restarting the Database Server Normally

Alternative Method: Using --init-file (Recommended for Production)