Install MySQL on Linux

Install MySQL on Linux: Ubuntu and Debian Setup

Installing MySQL on Linux takes three package commands and a short security setup. Most Ubuntu and Debian servers include MySQL 8 in their default apt repositories, complete with automatic systemd service management.

Step 1: Install MySQL Server via APT

Update your local package index first so apt fetches the newest security patches, then install mysql-server:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y mysql-server

Enable and verify the systemd service so MySQL starts automatically whenever the server reboots:

sudo systemctl enable --now mysql
sudo systemctl status mysql

Step 2: Harden Security Settings

Run the built-in hardening wizard to disable anonymous users, restrict remote root logins, and remove the default test database:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Answer Y to each prompt and set a password validation policy appropriate for your environment.

Step 3: Create a Dedicated Application User

Never connect your web application using the root account. Open the MySQL prompt with sudo mysql and create a least-privilege user tied to one database:

-- Create a utf8mb4 database for your application
CREATE DATABASE demo_app_db
    CHARACTER SET utf8mb4
    COLLATE utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci;

-- Create a dedicated local user with a strong password
CREATE USER 'demo_app_user'@'localhost'
    IDENTIFIED BY 'ChangeMe!Strong2026';

-- Grant privileges only on demo_app_db
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE, ALTER, INDEX
    ON demo_app_db.*
    TO 'demo_app_user'@'localhost';

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Common Linux Setup Gotchas

• Root Auth Socket Confusion: On Ubuntu, root uses auth_socket by default, meaning sudo mysql works without a password while plain mysql -u root -p fails. Creating a dedicated application user avoids changing root auth.
• Remote Connections Blocked: By default, bind-address in /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf is 127.0.0.1 for safety; keep it local unless connecting over a private VPC.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check which MySQL version is installed on Ubuntu?

Run mysql --version in the terminal or execute SELECT VERSION(); inside the MySQL prompt.

Where does MySQL store configuration files on Ubuntu Linux?

Server settings live in /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf and logs are written to /var/log/mysql/error.log.

Why should applications avoid connecting as root?

If an application credential leaks or suffers SQL injection, a scoped user limits damage to a single database instead of exposing every database on the host.