Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost'

# Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost'

The error "Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost'" occurs when we run the mysql_secure_installation script on Ubuntu because the script tries to set a password for the root MySQL user.

However, the default authentication method is to use the auth_socket plugin and connect using a UNIX socket, not a password.

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... Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost' as the authentication method used doesn't store authentication data in the MySQL server. Please consider using ALTER USER instead if you want to change authentication parameters.

New password

To solve the error "Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost'":

1. Open a new terminal window and terminate the process in which you issued the mysql_secure_installation command.

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sudo pkill -f mysql_secure_installation

# 👇️ or the following command
sudo killall -9 mysql_secure_installation

2. Connect to the MySQL server as an administrator.

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sudo mysql

3. Switch the authentication method to native_password. Note that the command ends with your_root_password_here. Don't just copy and paste it into your terminal.

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# 👇️ replace `your_root_password_here` with your actual password
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'your_root_password_here';

# 👇️ exit after issuing the command
exit

4. Type exit after issuing the ALTER USER command.

5. Rerun the sudo mysql_secure_installation command and enter the password you specified in the ALTER USER command.

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sudo mysql_secure_installation

6. Go through the secure installation process.

7. Complete the secure installation process.

We changed the default authentication method to mysql_native_password, so you can connect to the MySQL server with the following command.

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mysql -u root -p

Note that you will be prompted for the password you set when issuing the mysql_secure_installation command.

If you want to change the MySQL root user to use the auth_socket plugin for authentication (UNIX socket instead of a password), issue the ALTER USER command.

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ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH auth_socket;

Use the following command to verify that the authentication method is set to the auth_socket plugin.

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SELECT user, plugin FROM mysql.user WHERE user IN ('root')\G

Use the exit command to disconnect and issue the sudo mysql command to connect.

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exit

# 👇️ When using auth_socket plugin for authentication
sudo mysql

# 👇️ When using mysql_native_password plugin
mysql -u root -p

When you issue the sudo mysql command, you might get prompted for a password. However, the password is not associated with mysql, it is your Linux password for issuing a sudo command.

The mysql_native_password plugin enables you to connect using a password, whereas the auth_socket plugin (default) enables you to connect using a UNIX socket.

# Conclusion

The error "Failed! Error: SET PASSWORD has no significance for user 'root'@'localhost'" occurs when we run the mysql_secure_installation script on Ubuntu because the script tries to set a password for the root MySQL user with auth_socket authentication enabled.

To solve the error, use the ALTER USER command to change the authentication parameters.