How to install MySQL on WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
Jun 26, 2025 am 08:15 AMTo install MySQL to WSL, you need to pay attention to the system version, source update and permission configuration; 1. Confirm that WSL is enabled and updated: Run wsl --list --verbose to view the distribution status, and use sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y to update the system; 2. Install MySQL server: execute sudo apt install mysql-server -y. After installation, MySQL should start automatically. After each restart, the service needs to be started manually; 3. Configure security options: run sudo mysql_secure_installation to set the root password and strengthen security. Changes in the default authentication method may cause connection problems, which can be adjusted to mysql_native_password; 4. Frequently asked questions: When the service is not running, if the command is not found, clean the cache or reinstall the software package. To connect from Windows, you need to modify the binding address and open the firewall port and user permissions.
Installing MySQL to WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is not difficult. As long as the steps are clear and the operation is done properly, it can be done in a few minutes. The key is to pay attention to the key points of system version, source update and permission configuration.

Confirm that your WSL is enabled and updated
Before you start the installation, make sure you have WSL installed correctly and are using a supported Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu.
You can view the currently installed distribution and its status by running wsl --list --verbose
.

Next, update the package list and system:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
This step is critical because sometimes old package lists can cause installation failure or dependency problems.

Install MySQL Server
Ubuntu's official repository usually contains the latest stable version of MySQL, which can be installed directly using apt:
sudo apt install mysql-server -y
After the installation is complete, MySQL should start automatically. You can check the status using the following command:
sudo systemctl status mysql
If you see "active (running)" it means that the service is running.
Note: WSL does not automatically start the service by default, so you may need to manually start MySQL after each restart:
sudo systemctl start mysql
Configure MySQL security options
After installation, it is recommended to run a security script to set the root password, remove anonymous users, etc.:
sudo mysql_secure_installation
This process will allow you to set the root user's password and choose whether to delete the test database, prohibit remote login, etc. If you are only using local development, you can choose "Y" all the way.
However, one thing to note: Starting from MySQL 8.0, the default authentication method has been changed caching_sha2_password
, and some client tools may not yet support it . If you encounter connection problems, you can change it mysql_native_password
in the configuration file or pay attention to setting compatibility during installation.
FAQs and solutions
Can't access MySQL service?
Check if the service is running:systemctl status mysql
. If it is not running, try to start it manually.Prompt that the command cannot be found?
It may be that the path is wrong or the installation is not successful. You can try reinstalling or cleaning the cache:sudo apt clean sudo apt install --reinstall mysql-server
Want to connect to MySQL from Windows?
The binding address of MySQL needs to be modified to0.0.0.0
and open the port in the firewall (default 3306). At the same time, pay attention to user permissions that authorize remote access.
Basically that's it. The entire process is not complicated, but it is easy to get stuck in service startup and permission settings. Following the above steps step by step will generally not have any problems.
The above is the detailed content of How to install MySQL on WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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