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Francis Ndungu

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How to Install MySQL On Ubuntu 24.04

31 Mar, 2026

MySQL is a widely used database system that leverages Structured Query Language (SQL). It's often paired with web servers like Apache, LightSpeed, and Nginx, and scripting languages such as PHP, Perl, and Python. Known for its stability, MySQL is popular among developers for production use and powers content management systems like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. The database management system offers high security, scalability, and performance, especially in transactional environments. MySQL's complete workflow and reduced total cost of ownership give developers the flexibility they need.

This guide shows you how to install MySQL on Ubuntu 24.04.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

Purchase an Ubuntu 24.04 VPS server. If you don't have a VPS server, sign up with Vultr and get upto $300 worth of free credit to test the Vultr platform.
SSH to your VPS server using PuTTY for Windows or run the following command if you're using Linux or Mac.
console
```
$ ssh username@vps_server_public_ip_address
```
Create a non-root user with sudo privileges. Read our guide on How to Create a Non-Root Sudo User on Ubuntu 24.04. You'll use this user's account to run the commands in this guide.

Install MySQL Using APT

The MySQL package is maintained in the Ubuntu central repositories. Install the package by following the steps below.

SSH to your Ubuntu server and update the package information index.
console
```
$ sudo apt update
```
Install the MySQL server using apt.
console
```
$ sudo apt install mysql-server -y
```

Secure the MySQL Server

A default MySQL installation isn't secure because it often comes with default settings that can hackers can exploit. For example, it may have a default root user with no password, anonymous user accounts, and accessible test databases. Follow the steps below to secure MySQL

Run the mysql_secure_installation command.
console
```
$ sudo mysql_secure_installation
```

Reply with the following responses to secure MySQL.

console

Setup 'validate password' plugin? [Y/N]Y
Password Validation Policy Level: 2
Remove anonymous users: Y
Disallow root login remotely? [Y/N] Y    
Remove test database and access to it? [Y/N] Y
Reload privilege tables now? [Y/N] Y

Output:

All done!

Log in to the database server.
console
```
$ sudo mysql -u root -p
```
Press Enter without providing any password. MySQL should log you in using auth_socket, a method that allows users to log in to MySQL without a password, using their system user credentials.

Create Test Database

After installing logging in to your MySQL server, create a test database, a table, and insert some records to ensure the database is working by following the steps below;

Create a sample company_db

MySQL

mysql> CREATE DATABASE company_db;

Output:

Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)

Switch to the new company_db database.
MySQL
```
mysql> USE company_db;
```
Output;
```
Database changed
```

Create a sample customers database.

MySQL

mysql> CREATE TABLE customers (
    customer_id INT NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    first_name  VARCHAR(50),
    last_name  VARCHAR(50)
);

Output:

MySQL

Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.01 sec)

Insert sample records into the customers table.

MySQL

mysql> INSERT INTO customers (first_name, last_name) VALUES ('JOHN', 'DOE');
       INSERT INTO customers (first_name, last_name) VALUES ('MARY', 'SMITH');
       INSERT INTO customers (first_name, last_name) VALUES ('PETER', 'HENRY');

Output:

MySQL

Query OK, 1 row affected (0.00 sec)

Query the customers table to ensure the records are in place.

MySQL

mysql> SELECT
    customer_id,
    first_name, 
    last_name
FROM customers;

Output:

MySQL

+-------------+------------+-----------+
| customer_id | first_name | last_name |
+-------------+------------+-----------+
|           1 | JOHN       | DOE       |
|           2 | MARY       | SMITH     |
|           3 | PETER      | HENRY     |
+-------------+------------+-----------+
3 rows in set (0.00 sec)

The MySQL database is working as expected.

Log out from the MySQL database server.
MySQL
```
mysql> EXIT;
```
Output:
```
Bye
```

Conclusion

In this guide, you have installed MySQL Server on Ubuntu 24.04. With your MySQL database now set up, you can explore various applications to enhance your server capabilities. Consider installing phpMyAdmin for a web-based database management interface, or WordPress for content management. You can deploy applications with MySQL by integrating it with Laravel, Django, or Ruby on Rails. These applications will help you make the most of your MySQL database, providing robust and dynamic solutions for your projects.

Database
SQL