New SQL Install already has me locked out for root - mysql

Question

I am going a bit bonkers over this but this is what is happening.
I am installing mysql and mysql server but running the mysql_secure_installation and it already has me locked out of root.
Here's the full deal of what I went through. I have no idea what the password default may be but everyone keeps saying try "root" or just pressing enter (no password at all). How on earth am I locked out from the get go?
[root#Gretchen ~]# dnf install mysql mysql-server
Last metadata expiration check performed 1:52:35 ago on Tue Jan 5 10:07:03 2016.
Dependencies resolved.
=============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
=============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Installing:
mecab x86_64 0.996-1.fc23.3 fedora 393 k
mecab-ipadic x86_64 2.7.0.20070801-11.fc23.1 fedora 11 M
mysql-community-client x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23 mysql57-community 25 M
mysql-community-common x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23 mysql57-community 274 k
mysql-community-libs x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23 mysql57-community 2.2 M
mysql-community-server x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23 mysql57-community 105 M
Transaction Summary
=============================================================================================================================================================================================================================================
Install 6 Packages
Total download size: 143 M
Installed size: 670 M
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
(1/6): mysql-community-common-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64.rpm 629 kB/s | 274 kB 00:00
(2/6): mysql-community-libs-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64.rpm 609 kB/s | 2.2 MB 00:03
(3/6): mecab-0.996-1.fc23.3.x86_64.rpm 588 kB/s | 393 kB 00:00
(4/6): mecab-ipadic-2.7.0.20070801-11.fc23.1.x86_64.rpm 662 kB/s | 11 MB 00:16
(5/6): mysql-community-client-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64.rpm 1.0 MB/s | 25 MB 00:23
(6/6): mysql-community-server-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64.rpm 1.9 MB/s | 105 MB 00:55
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total 2.5 MB/s | 143 MB 00:56
Running transaction check
Transaction check succeeded.
Running transaction test
Transaction test succeeded.
Running transaction
Installing : mecab-0.996-1.fc23.3.x86_64 1/6
Installing : mysql-community-common-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 2/6
Installing : mysql-community-libs-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 3/6
Installing : mysql-community-client-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 4/6
Installing : mecab-ipadic-2.7.0.20070801-11.fc23.1.x86_64 5/6
Installing : mysql-community-server-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 6/6
Verifying : mysql-community-client-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 1/6
Verifying : mysql-community-libs-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 2/6
Verifying : mysql-community-common-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 3/6
Verifying : mysql-community-server-5.7.10-1.fc23.x86_64 4/6
Verifying : mecab-0.996-1.fc23.3.x86_64 5/6
Verifying : mecab-ipadic-2.7.0.20070801-11.fc23.1.x86_64 6/6
Installed:
mecab.x86_64 0.996-1.fc23.3 mecab-ipadic.x86_64 2.7.0.20070801-11.fc23.1 mysql-community-client.x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23 mysql-community-common.x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23 mysql-community-libs.x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23
mysql-community-server.x86_64 5.7.10-1.fc23
Complete!
[root#Gretchen ~]#
[root#Gretchen ~]# service mysqld start
Redirecting to /bin/systemctl start mysqld.service
[root#Gretchen ~]#
[root#Gretchen ~]#
[root#Gretchen ~]# cd /usr/bin
[root#Gretchen bin]# mysql_secure_installation
Securing the MySQL server deployment.
Enter password for user root:
Error: Access denied for user 'root'#'localhost' (using password: NO)
[root#Gretchen bin]# mysql_secure_installation
Securing the MySQL server deployment.
Enter password for user root:
Error: Access denied for user 'root'#'localhost' (using password: YES)
[root#Gretchen bin]#
of course if I uninstall and re-install this continues to happen. I'm afraid I may have installed something else that I should be uninstalling also but I'm unsure.
I have no interest in keeping any databases or users or anything. I just want to have SQL starting from scratch without having to redo my entire server.

Answer 1

Typically mysql stores your initial root password would be stored in /root/.mysql_secret. Check it out.

Answer 2

You may have to start the service with:
service mysql start
Then try mysql_secure_installation again.