Note: CentOS 7 reached its End Of Life (EOL) on June 30, 2024. While this guide provides installation instructions, it is strongly recommended to migrate to a supported operating system like Rocky Linux or AlmaLinux for security and ongoing updates. For assistance with migration or managing your existing servers, consider exploring Linux Server Support options.
MySQL is a cornerstone of many web applications and services, valued for its reliability and performance. This tutorial will guide you through installing MySQL Community Server on a CentOS 7 server. We will cover adding the MySQL Yum repository, installing the MySQL packages, securing your installation, and managing the MySQL service.
Before proceeding, ensure you have a CentOS 7 server and a non-root user with sudo privileges.
sudo privileges.If you need to set up a user with sudo privileges, you can follow a guide on initial server setup for CentOS 7.
MySQL provides an official Yum repository that allows you to install the latest versions of MySQL. First, download the repository setup package from the MySQL website. As of this writing, the package for EL7 (Enterprise Linux 7, which CentOS 7 is based on) is mysql80-community-release-el7-x.noarch.rpm. You can find the latest version on the MySQL Yum Repository page.
Download the package using wget:
wget https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql80-community-release-el7-11.noarch.rpm
Next, install the downloaded package:
sudo yum localinstall mysql80-community-release-el7-11.noarch.rpm
This command will add the MySQL Yum repository to your system’s repository list and download the GPG key to verify package signatures.
By default, the repository for the latest MySQL series (currently MySQL 8.0) is enabled. If you need to install a different version, such as MySQL 5.7 (which also has an EOL approaching), you would use the yum-config-manager tool to disable the 8.0 repository and enable the 5.7 repository. However, for new installations, using the latest stable version is recommended.
Now that the repository is added and enabled, you can install the MySQL server package using yum:
sudo yum install mysql-community-server
This command will install the mysql-community-server package and all its dependencies. Press y and then Enter when prompted to confirm the installation.
Once the installation is complete, start the MySQL service:
sudo systemctl start mysqld
Verify that the MySQL service is running:
sudo systemctl status mysqld
You should see output indicating that the service is active (running).
MySQL also creates a temporary root password during installation. You can find this password in the MySQL error log file:
sudo grep 'temporary password' /var/log/mysqld.log
Make a note of this temporary password, as you will need it in the next step to secure your MySQL installation.
MySQL includes a security script, mysql_secure_installation, which helps you perform several important security-related operations, such as setting the root password, removing anonymous users, disallowing remote root login, and removing the test database.
Run the script with sudo:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
You will be prompted to enter the temporary root password you noted earlier.
Next, you’ll be asked if you want to set up the VALIDATE PASSWORD component, which can enforce strong password policies. If you enable it, you’ll choose a password validation policy level (LOW, MEDIUM, or STRONG). It’s generally recommended to enable this for production servers.
Then, you will be prompted to set a new root password. Choose a strong, unique password.
The script will then ask you a series of yes/no questions:
Answering yes to these prompts will significantly improve the security of your MySQL installation. If you require specialized assistance with securing your database or need ongoing MySQL Server Support, professional services can provide tailored solutions.
After securing your installation, you can test if you can log in to the MySQL server using the new root password:
mysql -u root -p
Enter the root password you set during the mysql_secure_installation process. If successful, you will be greeted with the MySQL monitor prompt:
mysql>
You can run a simple query to check the version:
SELECT VERSION();
To exit the MySQL monitor, type:
EXIT;
Now that MySQL is installed and running, you can manage it using systemctl commands.
To start the MySQL service:
sudo systemctl start mysqld
To stop the MySQL service:
sudo systemctl stop mysqld
To restart the MySQL service:
sudo systemctl restart mysqld
To check the status of the MySQL service:
sudo systemctl status mysqld
To enable MySQL to start automatically at boot:
sudo systemctl enable mysqld
To disable MySQL from starting automatically at boot:
sudo systemctl disable mysqld
You have successfully installed and secured MySQL on your CentOS 7 server. You now have a robust database system ready for your applications. Remember to keep your system and MySQL updated, especially since CentOS 7 has reached its end of life.
For further reading and other related tutorials, you might be interested in:
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