linux mysql forgot root password code example

Example: ubuntu reset mysql root password

Set / change / reset the MySQL root password on Ubuntu Linux. Enter the following lines in your terminal.

Stop the MySQL Server: sudo /etc/init.d/mysql stop
Start the mysqld configuration: sudo mysqld --skip-grant-tables &

In some cases, you've to create the /var/run/mysqld first:

sudo mkdir -v /var/run/mysqld && sudo chown mysql /var/run/mysqld
Run: sudo service mysql start
Login to MySQL as root: mysql -u root mysql
Replace YOURNEWPASSWORD with your new password:

UPDATE
  mysql.user
SET
  Password = PASSWORD('YOURNEWPASSWORD')
WHERE
  User = 'root';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
exit;
Note: on some versions, if password column doesn't exist, you may want to try:
UPDATE user SET authentication_string=password('YOURNEWPASSWORD') WHERE user='root';

Note: This method is not regarded as the most secure way of resetting the password, however, it works.