The first step to reset a password is to stop the MySQL daemon. This will cause mysqld to accept no new connections and terminate existing connections. But this can all be done in a matter of seconds, usually. To stop MySQL on Mac, use the System Preference pane or launchctl. To stop on Linux, use init.d: sudo /etc/init.d/mysql stop Or if it’s mysqld instead: sudo /etc/init.d/mysqld stop Then start the SQL daemon using the –skip-grant-tables option: sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables & Next, login to mysql, which won’t require a password running in this mode: mysql -u root And use the UPDATE USER statement to set a new password: UPDATE USER set…