Mysql – ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user ‘ODBC’@’localhost’ (using password: YES)

I think one can end up in this position with older versions of mysql already installed. I had the same problem and none of the above solutions worked for me. I fixed it thus:

Used brew's remove & cleanup commands, unloaded the launchctl script, then deleted the mysql directory in /usr/local/var, deleted my existing /etc/my.cnf (leave that one up to you, should it apply) and launchctl plist

Updated the string for the plist. Note also your alternate security script directory will be based on which version of MySQL you are installing.

Step-by-step:

brew remove mysql

brew cleanup

launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist

rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/var/mysql

I then started from scratch:

1. installed mysql with brew install mysql

2. ran the commands brew suggested: (see note: below)

   unset TMPDIR
   
   mysql_install_db --verbose --user=`whoami` --basedir="$(brew --prefix mysql)" --datadir=/usr/local/var/mysql --tmpdir=/tmp
   

3. Start mysql with mysql.server start command, to be able to log on it

4. Used the alternate security script:

   /usr/local/Cellar/mysql/5.5.10/bin/mysql_secure_installation
   

5. Followed the launchctl section from the brew package script output such as,

   #start
   launchctl load -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist
   
   #stop
   launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/homebrew.mxcl.mysql.plist
   

Note: the --force bit on brew cleanup will also cleanup outdated kegs, think it's a new-ish homebrew feature.

Note the second: a commenter says step 2 is not required. I don't want to test it, so YMMV!

You probably have an anonymous user ''@'localhost' or ''@'127.0.0.1'.

As per the manual:

When multiple matches are possible, the server must determine which of them to use. It resolves this issue as follows: (...)

• When a client attempts to connect, the server looks through the rows [of table mysql.user] in sorted order.
• The server uses the first row that matches the client host name and user name.

(...) The server uses sorting rules that order rows with the most-specific Host values first. Literal host names [such as 'localhost'] and IP addresses are the most specific.

Hence, such an anonymous user would "mask" any other user like '[any_username]'@'%' when connecting from localhost.

'bill'@'localhost' does match 'bill'@'%', but would match (e.g.) ''@'localhost' beforehands.

The recommended solution is to drop this anonymous user (this is usually a good thing to do anyways).

Below edits are mostly irrelevant to the main question. These are only meant to answer some questions raised in other comments within this thread.

Edit 1

Authenticating as 'bill'@'%' through a socket.

    root@myhost:/home/mysql-5.5.16-linux2.6-x86_64# ./mysql -ubill -ppass --socket=/tmp/mysql-5.5.sock
    Welcome to the MySQL monitor (...)

    mysql> SELECT user, host FROM mysql.user;
    +------+-----------+
    | user | host      |
    +------+-----------+
    | bill | %         |
    | root | 127.0.0.1 |
    | root | ::1       |
    | root | localhost |
    +------+-----------+
    4 rows in set (0.00 sec)

    mysql> SELECT USER(), CURRENT_USER();
    +----------------+----------------+
    | USER()         | CURRENT_USER() |
    +----------------+----------------+
    | bill@localhost | bill@%         |
    +----------------+----------------+
    1 row in set (0.02 sec)

    mysql> SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'skip_networking';
    +-----------------+-------+
    | Variable_name   | Value |
    +-----------------+-------+
    | skip_networking | ON    |
    +-----------------+-------+
    1 row in set (0.00 sec)

Edit 2

Exact same setup, except I re-activated networking, and I now create an anonymous user ''@'localhost'.

    root@myhost:/home/mysql-5.5.16-linux2.6-x86_64# ./mysql
    Welcome to the MySQL monitor (...)

    mysql> CREATE USER ''@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'anotherpass';
    Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

    mysql> Bye

    root@myhost:/home/mysql-5.5.16-linux2.6-x86_64# ./mysql -ubill -ppass \
        --socket=/tmp/mysql-5.5.sock
    ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'bill'@'localhost' (using password: YES)
    root@myhost:/home/mysql-5.5.16-linux2.6-x86_64# ./mysql -ubill -ppass \
        -h127.0.0.1 --protocol=TCP
    ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'bill'@'localhost' (using password: YES)
    root@myhost:/home/mysql-5.5.16-linux2.6-x86_64# ./mysql -ubill -ppass \
        -hlocalhost --protocol=TCP
    ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'bill'@'localhost' (using password: YES)

Edit 3

Same situation as in edit 2, now providing the anonymous user's password.

    root@myhost:/home/mysql-5.5.16-linux2.6-x86_64# ./mysql -ubill -panotherpass -hlocalhost
    Welcome to the MySQL monitor (...)

    mysql> SELECT USER(), CURRENT_USER();
    +----------------+----------------+
    | USER()         | CURRENT_USER() |
    +----------------+----------------+
    | bill@localhost | @localhost     |
    +----------------+----------------+
    1 row in set (0.01 sec)

Conclusion 1, from edit 1: One can authenticate as 'bill'@'%'through a socket.

Conclusion 2, from edit 2: Whether one connects through TCP or through a socket has no impact on the authentication process (except one cannot connect as anyone else but 'something'@'localhost' through a socket, obviously).

Conclusion 3, from edit 3: Although I specified -ubill, I have been granted access as an anonymous user. This is because of the "sorting rules" advised above. Notice that in most default installations, a no-password, anonymous user exists (and should be secured/removed).