How to uninstall MySQL in PostgreSQL

Galaxy Glossary

How do I completely uninstall MySQL without losing ecommerce data?

Completely removes MySQL packages, data directories, and configuration files from your system after optional backup.

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Description

Why would you uninstall MySQL?

Developers often remove MySQL to reclaim disk space, switch to PostgreSQL, or resolve port conflicts during local testing.

What should you do before uninstalling?

Create a full dump of critical schemas such as ecommerce to preserve tables like Customers, Orders, and Products.

How do you back up an ecommerce database?

Run mysqldump -u root -p ecommerce > ecommerce_backup.sql.This file keeps the whole structure and data, ensuring OrderItems remain linked to Orders.

Which command uninstalls MySQL on Debian/Ubuntu?

Use sudo apt-get remove --purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common. The --purge flag deletes configuration files, preventing orphaned configs.

How do you remove residual data?

Execute sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql /etc/mysql to erase data files and configs.Verify with sudo find / -name "*mysql*".

How do you uninstall MySQL on RHEL/CentOS?

Run sudo yum remove mysql mysql-server, followed by sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql. Clean cached metadata with sudo yum clean all.

How do you confirm MySQL is gone?

Type mysql --version.A “command not found” message means the uninstallation succeeded.

Best practices after removal

Restore your ecommerce backup into PostgreSQL using tools like pgloader to migrate Customers and related tables.

Common mistakes and fixes

Leaving backups on the same disk: Store ecommerce_backup.sql off-machine to avoid accidental loss during disk cleanup.

Skipping the --purge flag: Without it, config files remain and can block future PostgreSQL ports.

Need help troubleshooting?

If mysql still starts, check systemd with sudo systemctl status mysql and disable lingering services via sudo systemctl disable --now mysql.

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Why How to uninstall MySQL in PostgreSQL is important

How to uninstall MySQL in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- Backup ecommerce data before uninstall
mysqldump -u root -p ecommerce > ecommerce_backup.sql

-- Purge MySQL packages and configs
sudo apt-get remove --purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql /etc/mysql

How to uninstall MySQL in PostgreSQL Syntax


Debian/Ubuntu:
  sudo apt-get remove --purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common [--dry-run]
  sudo apt-get autoremove
  sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql /etc/mysql

RHEL/CentOS:
  sudo yum remove mysql mysql-server [--noautoremove]
  sudo yum clean all
  sudo rm -rf /var/lib/mysql

Backup (optional):
  mysqldump -u <user> -p [database] > backup.sql

Example (ecommerce context):
  mysqldump -u root -p ecommerce > ecommerce_backup.sql
  sudo apt-get remove --purge mysql-server mysql-client mysql-common

Common Mistakes

Not backing up the ecommerce database first. Fix: run mysqldump on tables like Customers, Orders, Products, and store the file off-machine before removal.
Using apt-get remove without --purge, which leaves config files that can cause port 3306 conflicts. Fix: add --purge or manually delete /etc/mysql.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does uninstalling MySQL delete my databases?

Only if you remove /var/lib/mysql. Back up first, then delete to reclaim space.

Can I reinstall MySQL later?

Yes. Re-install with apt-get install mysql-server or yum install mysql-server, then restore ecommerce_backup.sql.

How do I migrate to PostgreSQL?

Use pgloader ecommerce_backup.sql postgres://user@localhost/ecommerce to convert schema and data.

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