How to Set Up MySQL on Linux

Which Linux package manager commands install MySQL?

Use your distro’s native package manager for a clean install. On Debian-based systems run sudo apt update && sudo apt install mysql-server. On Red Hat, CentOS, or Fedora execute sudo dnf install mysql-server. These packages include the server daemon, client tools, and the systemd service unit.

How do I start and enable the MySQL service?

After installation, activate MySQL with sudo systemctl start mysqld. Enable auto-start on boot using sudo systemctl enable mysqld.Verify status via systemctl status mysqld and check the listening port (3306 by default) with ss -tunlp | grep 3306.

What is the fastest way to secure the server?

Run sudo mysql_secure_installation. The script sets a root password, removes anonymous accounts, disallows remote root login, removes the test database, and reloads privilege tables.Always complete this step before exposing the server to a network.

How do I create an e-commerce database and user?

Log in with sudo mysql -u root -p, then execute:

CREATE DATABASE ecommerce CHARACTER SET utf8mb4;
CREATE USER 'app_user'@'%' IDENTIFIED BY 'StrongP@ss!';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON ecommerce.* TO 'app_user'@'%';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

This isolates application access and follows the principle of least privilege.

How do I allow remote connections safely?

In /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf (Debian) or /etc/my.cnf (RHEL), set bind-address = 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces.Open TCP 3306 in your firewall: sudo ufw allow 3306/tcp or sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=mysql --permanent && sudo firewall-cmd --reload. Restrict access to trusted IPs whenever possible.

What’s the recommended backup strategy?

Use mysqldump --single-transaction --routines --triggers ecommerce > ecommerce.sql for logical backups. For large datasets leverage mysqlpump or filesystem snapshots combined with --flush-logs.Automate backups with cron and store them off-site.

How do I test the setup with a sample query?

Create retail tables and run a join to confirm everything works:

USE ecommerce;
CREATE TABLE Customers(id INT PK AUTO_INCREMENT, name VARCHAR(100), email VARCHAR(100), created_at DATETIME);
CREATE TABLE Orders(id INT PK AUTO_INCREMENT, customer_id INT, order_date DATE, total_amount DECIMAL(10,2));
INSERT INTO Customers(name,email,created_at) VALUES ('Alice','alice@example.com',NOW());
INSERT INTO Orders(customer_id,order_date,total_amount) VALUES (1,CURDATE(),199.99);
SELECT c.name,o.total_amount FROM Customers c JOIN Orders o ON c.id=o.customer_id;.