How to change the mysql root password

Question

I have installed MySQL server 5 on redhat linux. I can\'t login as root so I can\'t change the root password.

mysql -u root -p  
Enter password:  

        

Answer 1

One option is to save UPDATE mysql.user SET Password=PASSWORD('newpass') WHERE User='root'; into a file and then manually start mysqld with --init-file=FILENAME. Once the server starts, it should reset your password, and then you should be able to log in. After this, you should shut down the server and start it normally.