Cannot log into any account on mysql from terminal - mysql

Question

Ever since running as suggested: https://stackoverflow.com/a/50131831/3310334
alter user 'root'#'localhost' identified with mysql_native_password by 'Gzbz1H!fZ##LyF33IqP$rAS8H#0iNc4lK8l2Md#EHxJyFK2YgfQwiKxz*0#lykWvKdWzhxh6EYKu&6ZPp1#9$%YMPb6EfDPYf2h';
I can't access mysql anymore:
% mysql -u root -p
Enter password:
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'#'localhost' (using password: YES)
% sudo mysql
Password:
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'#'localhost' (using password: NO)
% mysql
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'theonlygusti'#'localhost' (using password: NO)
% sudo mysql -u root -p
Enter password:
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'#'localhost' (using password: YES)
I copy/paste my password exactly as I used to (and the password used to be the same).
In fact, I have noticed that any account that I "altered" as above I cannot log into through the terminal anymore, but they work from within Node.js using require('mysql') package.
How can I regain access to the root account without losing all my databases?
I just made the problem probably-worse by running
ALTER USER 'root'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED WITH caching_sha2_password BY 'Gzbz1H!fZ##LyF33IqP$rAS8H#0iNc4lK8l2Md#EHxJyFK2YgfQwiKxz*0#lykWvKdWzhxh6EYKu&6ZPp1#9$%YMPb6EfDPYf2h';
from inside javascript (after connecting as root).
It was successful.
Now I can't connect to root using JavaScript or the terminal.
I just tried following advice: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/resetting-permissions.html
% cat init.sql
ALTER USER 'root'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'Gzbz1H!fZ##LyF33IqP$rAS8H#0iNc4lK8l2Md#EHxJyFK2YgfQwiKxz*0#lykWvKdWzhxh6EYKu&6ZPp1#9$%YMPb6EfDPYf2h';
% brew services stop mysql
% mysqld --init-file="$PWD/init.sql"
But I still can't connect by literally copy/pasting exactly the same password as above into the password prompt.
I have also tried the other reset method detailed in that link, using --skip-grant-tables:
% kill `cat /usr/local/var/mysql/theonlygustis-MacBook-Pro.pid`
% mysqld --skip-grant-tables
% mysql
> flush privileges;
> ALTER USER 'root'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'alter user 'root'#'localhost' identified with mysql_native_password by 'Gzbz1H!fZ##LyF33IqP$rAS8H#0iNc4lK8l2Md#EHxJyFK2YgfQwiKxz*0#lykWvKdWzhxh6EYKu&6ZPp1#9$%YMPb6EfDPYf2h';
> flush privileges;
> exit
% kill `cat /usr/local/var/mysql/theonlygustis-MacBook-Pro.pid`
% mysqld
% mysql -u root -p
Enter password:
ERROR 1045 (28000): Access denied for user 'root'#'localhost' (using password: YES)
It also doesn't work.

Answer 1

The preceding sections provide password-resetting instructions specifically for Windows and Unix and Unix-like systems. Alternatively, on any platform, you can reset the password using the mysql client (but this approach is less secure):
Stop the MySQL server if necessary, then restart it with the --skip-grant-tables option. This enables anyone to connect without a password and with all privileges, and disables account-management statements such as ALTER USER and SET PASSWORD. Because this is insecure, if the server is started with the --skip-grant-tables option, it also disables remote connections by enabling skip_networking.
Connect to the MySQL server using the mysql client; no password is necessary because the server was started with --skip-grant-tables:
shell> mysql //or sudo mysql
In the mysql client, tell the server to reload the grant tables so that account-management statements work:
mysql> FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
Then change the 'root'#'localhost' account password. Replace the password with the password that you want to use. To change the password for a root account with a different host name part, modify the instructions to use that host name.
mysql> ALTER USER 'root'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'MyNewPass';
You should now be able to connect to the MySQL server as root using the new password. Stop the server and restart it normally (without the --skip-grant-tables option and without enabling the skip_networking system variable).
If does not help. Can see official page
https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/resetting-permissions.html