Raspberry Pi + No privileges in PhpMyAdmin - mysql

Question

Here are the steps I wrote for myself to follow, that I used to do my initial set-up.. (in case that was part of he problem some how?)
Used Etcher to flash latest Raspbian Stretch to micro SD card.
Added 'ssh' file to _root of SD card so I can connected via Putty/FTP..etc
Update Repositories:
-- sudo apt-get update
* Install Apache:
-- sudo apt install apache2 //new line
* Give permissions to Pi:
-- sudo chown -R pi:www-data /var/www/html/
-- sudo chmod -R 770 /var/www/html/
* Change Default Web Page:
-- ls -al
** I test if the server is working by opening the web browser and typing the Raspberry Pi's IP address.
** I find out the IP address by typing: ifconfig in the terminal (or my router)
* Install PHP:
-- sudo apt install php php-mbstring
Test PHP install:
//delete default apache index.html
-- sudo rm /var/www/html/index.html
//create new index.php file in its place, with the following content:
-- echo "" > /var/www/html/index.php
*** enabling PHP SHORT TAGS:
-- sudo nano /etc/php/7.0/apache2/php.ini //find short tags and edit/save config file (.ini)
* Install MySQL 7:
-- sudo apt install mysql-server php-mysql
** Type/Create root password when prompted //was never prompted to do so????
Check install:
-- sudo mysql --user=root
Add the wifi credentials:
Create file on the card called wpa_supplicant.conf, which has the following inside:
ctrl_interface=DIR=/var/run/wpa_supplicant GROUP=netdev
update_config=1
country=US
network={
ssid="Your network name/SSID"
psk="Your WPA/WPA2 security key"
key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
}
Edit country=, ssid= and psk= with your information and save the file.
Use the 2 letter country abbreviation in CAPS (without this you will have no WiFi).
Use a pure text editor, not a word processor, to edit the wpa_supplicant.conf file.
So all the above went fine..without much issue.. (followed an old wifi tutorial that disabled all DHCP ability..but thats been fixed now, and the steps updated above as well)
However.. there was ONE step I followed from this tutorials, how checking your MySQL install:
https://howtoraspberrypi.com/how-to-install-web-server-raspberry-pi-lamp/
"We will no delete the default mysql root user and create a new mysql root user, because the default one can only be used with Linux root account, and so not available for the webserver and php scripts.
To do so, once your connect to MySQL, simply run thoses commands (replace password with the password you want) :"
DROP USER 'root'#'localhost';
CREATE USER 'root'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'root'#'localhost'
"So you now have a web server, connected to PHP and MySQL. That’s all it takes.
(On your next connections, you will be able to connect to mysql without using sudo, with the command:
"
# mysql --user=root --password=yourmysqlpassword
Now.. I can 'login' into PhpMyAdmin.. with the credentials above root/password...
but I have NO PRIVILEGES to create a database.. or add tables..etc
and when I'm logged into PhpMyAdmin.. I see these 'pink' alerts.. saying phpmyadmin#local host has no permissions/denied..etc..
So my question(s) are:
1.) What is the correct process after installing MySQL to set up a new user account? Are you supposed to be deleting the default account? Why didnt setting the new user account and privs work? (I get a denied, need an account with creation permissions...etc)
2.) How do I fix my current situation so I can continue with my project.. (which needs a database populated with data to display the site)
Do I need to un-install MySQL? and re-install it? Starting over? How will this affect everything else that is currently installed/working? Any backlash? Negative consequences here? I am new to Linux (Raspbian).. and CLI in general here..
Why didnt this line 'work'?
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON . TO 'root'#'localhost'
And how can I fix this so I do have permissions to use PhpMyAdmin?

Answer 1

To update this, in cae anyone else stumbles upon it... it you look at the block...
its actually missing some syntax:
DROP USER 'root'#'localhost';
CREATE USER 'root'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'root'#'localhost'
The last line is missing the ';' (semi-colon).. which means the last line did NOT execute.. (DOH!).. and hence.. new user has no privs!!!
I would suggest to not only FIX that typo... but also NOT drop the original ROOT user.. and just create a NEW account all together
ie:
CREATE USER 'admin'#'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON *.* TO 'admin'#'localhost'