error: "Can"t connect to local MySQL server through socket "/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock" (2)" -- Missing /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

📝 Title: The Error that Haunts MySQL Users: Can't Connect to Local MySQL Server

👋 Hey there, are you feeling frustrated because you can't seem to connect to your local MySQL server? You're not alone! Many MySQL users have encountered this annoying error 🚫💻.

💭 Let's walk through some common issues and easy solutions to get you back on track.

The Context

🔑 The problem started when you tried to log in as root without turning on passwords. Following some instructions to recover the password, you ran the command mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &, but it never returned the prompt to start typing the SQL commands.

🚫 When you killed the command using CTRL + C, you received the error message: "Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)". Ouch! 😣

✨ But fret not, we'll help you fix it!

The Solution: Missing /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

1. 💢 Kill any remaining MySQL processes running in the background:

   • Open your terminal and run the following command: sudo service mysql stop

   • If that doesn't work, use sudo killall -9 mysql to force the process to stop.

2. 🔍 Check if the file /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock exists:

   • Open your terminal and run the following command: ls /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

   • If it doesn't exist, we'll recreate it in the next steps.

3. 🚀 Restart the MySQL service:

   • Run the following command: sudo service mysql start

4. 🌟 Verify if the mysqld.sock file has been created:

   • Run this command to check: ls /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

5. Restart your computer and try connecting to the MySQL server again:

   • Open your terminal and run the following command: mysql -u root

🎉 Congratulations! You should be able to connect to your local MySQL server now! 🎉

Additional Tips

If you've tried the above steps but are still facing issues, consider the following:

🔧 Check MySQL service status:

1. Open your terminal and run this command: sudo service mysql status

2. If MySQL is not running, start it using sudo service mysql start.

🔄 Restart MySQL service:

1. Open your terminal and run the following command: sudo service mysql restart.

2. Try connecting to the MySQL server again.

🔑 Reset MySQL root password:

1. Stop the MySQL service using: sudo service mysql stop

2. Run sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &

3. Open another terminal and run: mysql -u root

4. In the MySQL prompt, execute these commands:

   FLUSH PRIVILEGES; ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'NEW_PASSWORD';

5. Restart the MySQL service using: sudo service mysql restart

Moving Forward

📢 We hope this guide helped you overcome the "Can't connect to local MySQL server" error. If you found it useful, make sure to share it with your friends who might be struggling too.

💬 If you're still having issues or have any other MySQL questions, leave a comment below. Our tech community would be happy to assist you! Let's conquer this MySQL challenge together! 💪💻