MySQL fails on: mysql "ERROR 1524 (HY000): Plugin 'auth_socket' is not loaded"

My local environment is:

• fresh Ubuntu 16.04
• with PHP 7

• with installed MySQL 5.7

  sudo apt-get install mysql-common mysql-server
  

When I tried to login to MySQL (via CLI):

mysql -u root -p

I came across an cyclic issue with 3 steps.

1) First was some socket issue

ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock'

Solution: restarting PC.

Which led to another error:

2) With access denied

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

Possible issue? Wrong password for "root" user!

Solution: reset root password with this tutorial.

With correct password and working socket, there comes last error.

3) Incorrect auth plugin

mysql "ERROR 1524 (HY000): Plugin 'unix_socket' is not loaded"

Here I stopped or somehow got to 1) again.

I got a solution!

When resetting root password at step 2), also change the auth plugin to mysql_native_password:

use mysql;
update user set authentication_string=PASSWORD("") where User='root';
update user set plugin="mysql_native_password" where User='root';  # THIS LINE

flush privileges;
quit;

This allowed me to log in successfully!

Full code solution

1. run bash commands

1. first, run these bash commands

sudo /etc/init.d/mysql stop # stop mysql service
sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables & # start mysql without password
# enter -> go
mysql -uroot # connect to mysql

2. then run mysql commands => copy paste this to cli manually

use mysql; # use mysql table
update user set authentication_string=PASSWORD("") where User='root'; # update password to nothing
update user set plugin="mysql_native_password" where User='root'; # set password resolving to default mechanism for root user

flush privileges;
quit;

3. run more bash commands

sudo /etc/init.d/mysql stop 
sudo /etc/init.d/mysql start # reset mysql
# try login to database, just press enter at password prompt because your password is now blank
mysql -u root -p 

4. Socket issue (from your comments)

When you see a socket error, a community came with 2 possible solutions:

sudo mkdir -p /var/run/mysqld; sudo chown mysql /var/run/mysqld
sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &

(thanks to @Cerin)

Or

mkdir -p /var/run/mysqld && chown mysql:mysql /var/run/mysqld  

(thanks to @Peter Dvukhrechensky)

Blind paths and possible edge errors

Use 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost

mysql -uroot # "-hlocalhost" is default

Can lead to "missing file" or slt error.

mysql -uroot -h127.0.0.1

Works better.

Skip the socket issue

I've found many ways to create mysqld.sock file, change access rights or symlink it. It was not the issue after all.

Skip the my.cnf file

The issue also was not there. If you are not sure, this might help you.

You can try as follows it works for me.

Start server:

sudo service mysql start

Now, Go to sock folder:

cd /var/run

Back up the sock:

sudo cp -rp ./mysqld ./mysqld.bak

Stop server:

sudo service mysql stop

Restore the sock:

sudo mv ./mysqld.bak ./mysqld

Start mysqld_safe:

 sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &

Init mysql shell:

 mysql -u root

Change password:

Hence, First choose the database

mysql> use mysql;

Now enter below two queries:

mysql> update user set authentication_string=password('123456') where user='root';
mysql> update user set plugin="mysql_native_password" where User='root'; 

Now, everything will be ok.

mysql> flush privileges;
mysql> quit;

For checking:

mysql -u root -p

done!

N.B, After login please change the password again from phpmyadmin

Now check hostname/phpmyadmin

Username: root

Password: 123456

For more details please check How to reset forgotten password phpmyadmin in Ubuntu

The mysql command by default uses UNIX sockets to connect to MySQL.

If you're using MariaDB, you need to load the Unix Socket Authentication Plugin on the server side.

You can do it by editing the [mysqld] configuration like this:

[mysqld]
plugin-load-add = auth_socket.so

Depending on distribution, the config file is usually located at /etc/mysql/ or /usr/local/etc/mysql/

For Ubuntu 18.04 and mysql 5.7

• step 1: sudo mkdir /var/run/mysqld;

  step 2: sudo chown mysql /var/run/mysqld

  step 3: sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables & quit (use quit if its stuck )

login to mysql without password

• step 4: sudo mysql --user=root mysql

  step 5: SELECT user,authentication_string,plugin,host FROM mysql.user;

  step 6: ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'root'

now login with

• mysql -u root -p <root>