Mysql – Install thesql-server and set password from the command line

You need to preseed the debconf database. debconf needs to be installed first before you try this.

The version of mysql and ubuntu could change the line:

echo mysql-server mysql-server/root_password select PASSWORD | debconf-set-selections
echo mysql-server mysql-server/root_password_again select PASSWORD | debconf-set-selections

For example you made need this instead:

echo mysql-server-5.0 mysql-server/root_password password PASSWORD | debconf-set-selections
echo mysql-server-5.0 mysql-server/root_password_again password PASSWORD | debconf-set-selections

Your mysql database already has a root password. It was probably set when you installed mysql.

If you know the existing password, use this:

sudo mysqladmin -p password NEW_PASSWORD

The '-p' will tell mysql to prompt you to enter your old password first. Then, it will replace the existing password with the string NEW_PASSWORD.

If you do not remember the original password, you'll need to shut it down and start it following the instructions at http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/recover-mysql-root-password.html . This is easy to do, but does require some downtime.

UPDATE

Another option.

You can tell Ubuntu to reconfigure your MySQL server. This will reconfigure mysql-server-5.1 from scratch, and will ask you for a new password from the root user. Caution: This will completely wipe out any existing data, and will replace them with the default data. However, I'm guessing your database doesn't contain anything.

sudo dpkg-reconfigure mysql-server-5.1

(If I remember right, Ubuntu 10.04 comes with MySQL server 5.1, not 5.0)