5/2/2018 mysql - ERROR 1698 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' - Stack Overflow

ERROR 1698 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' Ask Question

So... I'm setting up a new server and keep running into this problem.

41 When I try to login to the MySQL database with the root user, I get the "ERROR 1698 (28000):
Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost'" error.

It doesn't matter if I connect through the terminal(SSH), through PHPMyAdmin or a MySQL Client,
e.g. Navicat. They all fail.

19 I looked in the mysql.user table and get the following:

+------------------+-------------------+
| user | host |
+------------------+-------------------+
| root | % |
| root | 127.0.0.1 |
| amavisd | localhost |
| debian-sys-maint | localhost |
| iredadmin | localhost |
| iredapd | localhost |
| mysql.sys | localhost |
| phpmyadmin | localhost |
| root | localhost |
| roundcube | localhost |
| vmail | localhost |
| vmailadmin | localhost |
| amavisd | test4.folkmann.it |
| iredadmin | test4.folkmann.it |
| iredapd | test4.folkmann.it |
| roundcube | test4.folkmann.it |
| vmail | test4.folkmann.it |
| vmailadmin | test4.folkmann.it |
+------------------+-------------------+

As you can see, root should have access.

The Server is quite simple, as I have tried to troubleshoot this for a while now..

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5/2/2018 mysql - ERROR 1698 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' - Stack Overflow

It's running Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS with Apache, MySQL and PHP, so that it can host websites, and
iRedMail 0.9.5-1, so that it can host mail.

Login in to the MySQL database works fine before I install iRedMail. I also tried, just installing
iRedMail, but then root, also doesn't work...

If someone could tell me how I fix my MySQL login problem or how I install iRedMail, on top of an
existing MySQL install. And yes I tried the Installation Tips and I can't find those variables in the
config files.

Any help is much appreciated :)

mysql iredmail

share improve this question asked Sep 1 '16 at 22:06

Folkmann
333 1 3 9

2 Thanks for listing all your user accounts and host names. If you could also provide some passwords,
that'd be really helpful. – Martin Parkin Sep 1 '16 at 22:07

It's local domains, so good luck connecting to them ;) Nothing but standard users from installing iRedMail,
so with minimal guesswork anyone would be able to know that those users exist om the system. –
Folkmann Sep 2 '16 at 13:51

I followed this link and the first option worked for me: askubuntu.com/questions/763336/… –
Mikael Arhelger Nov 28 '17 at 16:39

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5 Answers active oldest votes

The reason is that recent Ubuntu installation (maybe others also), mysql is using by default
the UNIX auth_socket plugin.
153
Basically means that: db_users using it, will be "auth" by the system user credentias. You can
see if your root user is set up like this by doing the following:

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5/2/2018 mysql - ERROR 1698 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' - Stack Overflow

$ sudo mysql -u root # I had to use "sudo" since is new installation

mysql> USE mysql;

mysql> SELECT User, Host, plugin FROM mysql.user;

+------------------+-----------------------+
| User | plugin |
+------------------+-----------------------+
| root | auth_socket |
| mysql.sys | mysql_native_password |
| debian-sys-maint | mysql_native_password |
+------------------+-----------------------+

As you can see in the query, the root user is using the auth_socket plugin

There are 2 ways to solve this:

1. You can set the root user to use the mysql_native_password plugin
2. You can create a new db_user with you system_user (recommended)

Option 1:

$ sudo mysql -u root # I had to use "sudo" since is new installation

mysql> USE mysql;

mysql> UPDATE user SET plugin='mysql_native_password' WHERE User='root';
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
mysql> exit;

$ service mysql restart

Option 2: (replace YOUR_SYSTEM_USER with the username you have)

$ sudo mysql -u root # I had to use "sudo" since is new installation

mysql> USE mysql;

mysql> CREATE USER 'YOUR_SYSTEM_USER'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '';
mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'YOUR_SYSTEM_USER'@'localhost';
mysql> UPDATE user SET plugin='auth_socket' WHERE User='YOUR_SYSTEM_USER';
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
mysql> exit;

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5/2/2018 mysql - ERROR 1698 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' - Stack Overflow

$ service mysql restart

Remember that if you use option #2 you'll have to connect to mysql as your system username
( mysql -u YOUR_SYSTEM_USER )

Note: On some systems (e.g., Debian stretch) 'auth_socket' plugin is called 'unix_socket', so the
corresponding SQL command should be: UPDATE user SET plugin='unix_socket' WHERE
User='YOUR_SYSTEM_USER';

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