Gaining access can quickly turn into a wild goose chase as you hunt down processes while risking your installation. If time is a factor, it can be days before you figure out the problem. No fear, after battling with a variety of incomplete and badly written "guides", strange advice and the cult of msql administration. I found a guide that works with my current mysql setup on Ubuntu Karmic. Thanks to the accurate and faithful nixCraft for being there for us.
I am reproducing the information below (which is under old school copyright) because without it I would be like stuffed. Hope nobody minds. It is common knowledge according to MySQL but laid out in a much clearer fashion. So if you reading this, take the time to check out nixCraft. Its a wonderful site.
Here are the steps you need to take. In all likelihood you need to run them as root. Do we need to tell you that? Not really, you knew that already didn't you?
Step # 1: Stop the MySQL server process.
Step # 2: Start the MySQL (mysqld) server/daemon process with the --skip-grant-tables option so that it will not prompt for password.
Step # 3: Connect to mysql server as the root user.
Step # 4: Setup new mysql root account password.
Step # 5: Exit and restart the MySQL server.
Here are commands you need to type for each step (login as the root user):
Step # 1 : Stop mysql service
# /etc/init.d/mysql stopOutput:
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld.
Step # 2: Start to MySQL server w/o password:
# mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &Output:
[1] 5988
Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /var/lib/mysql
mysqld_safe[6025]: started
Step # 3: Connect to mysql server using mysql client:
# mysql -u rootOutput:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor. Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 1 to server version: 4.1.15-Debian_1-log
Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.
mysql>
Step # 4: Setup new MySQL root user password
mysql> use mysql;
mysql> update user set password=PASSWORD("NEW-ROOT-PASSWORD") where User='root';
mysql> flush privileges;
mysql> quitStep # 5: Stop MySQL Server:
# /etc/init.d/mysql stopOutput:
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld
STOPPING server from pid file /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
mysqld_safe[6186]: ended
[1]+ Done mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables
Step # 6: Start MySQL server and test it
# /etc/init.d/mysql start
# mysql -u root -p
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