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Install and start MySQL
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Make sure Homebrew is installed and available in your shell. Apple Silicon installations commonly use
/opt/homebrew, but use the prefix reported by your own Homebrew installation rather than assuming a path.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Install the default MySQL server formula:
brew install mysql -
Start MySQL as a user service. This starts the server now and configures it to start at login:
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Connect to the local server:
mysql -u root -
Secure the initial setup by following the prompts:
mysql_secure_installation
Homebrew documents running the server directly with mysqld_safe and the Homebrew prefix’s var/mysql data directory, but its service command is the straightforward choice for a workstation. The formula says the database is installed without a root password and that connections are configured for localhost by default. See the Homebrew MySQL formula.
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Choose a formula that matches your project
The unversioned mysql formula is the direct Homebrew installation route. If an application, course, or existing project specifically requires MySQL 8.4, Homebrew also provides [email protected] for Apple Silicon; install and start that formula instead:
brew install [email protected]
brew services start [email protected]Check the server version your project supports before choosing. The Homebrew pages list both formulas as supporting Apple Silicon: mysql and [email protected].
Take extra care when upgrading existing databases: Homebrew warns that upgrades from MySQL versions below 8.4 to versions above 9.0 require an intermediate upgrade through 8.4. Preserve your data and follow the formula’s current migration guidance rather than jumping directly across that boundary.
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Server formula versus client-only package
For a local database server, use mysql or the versioned server formula that meets your project’s needs. Homebrew’s separate mysql-client package provides client tools, not the server, and is marked keg-only because it conflicts with client libraries included in the full formula. See the Homebrew mysql-client formula.
Troubleshoot startup and installation conflicts
MySQL will not start
Check whether /etc/my.cnf or /etc/mysql/my.cnf exists. The Homebrew formula warns that either configuration file can interfere with its server. Review the file’s settings before changing or removing it.
The port is already in use
Another MySQL server may already be running, including one installed through Oracle’s native macOS package. Identify and stop the other instance before starting a second server, so the two installations do not compete for a port. Oracle’s macOS installation notes distinguish native installations from Homebrew installations.
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The shell finds an unexpected MySQL command
Check which executables your shell resolves:
which mysql
which mysqldIf the paths point to an unexpected installation, check your shell’s PATH and whether another package or native installer is present. Oracle’s native installation process does not manage Homebrew installations.
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Keep a local installation local
The Homebrew formula’s documented default allows connections from localhost only. Do not change bind-address settings or firewall rules simply to complete a local installation; allowing remote connections is a separate configuration decision with security implications.
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