Cannot start mysql service: Unit mysql.service is masked

Shu Shang

1/28/23, 11:23 AM

I am trying to install phpMyAdmin and it complained about not able to connect to MySQL server. It seems that the relevant services are not started but I cannot start it.

Here is the results of some commands I run.

# mysql -v
ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock' (2)
# service mysql stop
# service mysql start
Failed to start mysql.service: Unit mysql.service is masked.
# service mysqld stop
# service mysqld start
Failed to start mysqld.service: Unit mysqld.service is masked.
# systemctl unmask mysql.service
# service mysql start
Failed to start mysql.service: Unit mysql.service is masked.
# systemctl unmask mysqld.service
# service mysqld start
Failed to start mysqld.service: Unit mysqld.service is masked.

Update:

$ file /lib/systemd/system/mysql.service  
/lib/systemd/system/mysql.service: ASCII text
$ file /lib/systemd/system/mysqld.service     
/lib/systemd/system/mysqld.service: cannot open `/lib/systemd/system/mysqld.service' (No such file or directory)

Update:

I tried removing /var/lib/mysql and restarting mysql, it failed and told me to read /etc/mysql/FROZEN, which says:

This MySQL or variant installation has entered "frozen mode". Maintainer
scripts will avoid making changes or starting the daemon until manually
released from this state. See /usr/share/doc/mysql-common/README for
general information about this mode.

In this particular case, an incompatible downgrade attempt has been
detected. This can be resolved in one of two ways:

1. Change the contents of /var/lib/mysql/ to contain database data that
is compatible with the currently installed MySQL or variant daemon
version. For example: you could restore from a backup. Alternatively you
could do a dump using a future version binary and then a restore using
the current version binary.

2. Switch to a MySQL or variant daemon version that is compatible with
the data currently in /var/lib/mysql/. For example, if you have
attempted a downgrade from mysql-server-5.7 to mysql-server-5.6, you
could "apt install mysql-server-5.7" again.

Please resolve this situation and only then remove the /etc/mysql/FROZEN
symlink. You can then run "dpkg-reconfigure <package>" where <package>
should usually be in the form <variant>-server-<version>.

What does this mean? I have never attempted a downgrade.

1987

0 + 0

mysql

Artur Meinild

1/28/23, 11:26 AM

Does this answer your question? [systemctl, how to unmask](https://askubuntu.com/questions/804946/systemctl-how-to-unmask)

Shu Shang

1/28/23, 11:28 AM

@ArturMeinild No. I posted the update in the question

Score:1

Ubuntu

Shu Shang

1/30/23, 2:31 PM

Problem solved!

I removed /etc/mysql and then it complained about no my.cnf.

I then did a full reinstall (purging "mysql*" and installing them back) and it worked.

0 + 0

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Cannot start mysql service: Unit mysql.service is masked

TH: ไม่สามารถเริ่มบริการ mysql: หน่วย mysql.service ถูกปิดบัง

RO: Nu se poate porni serviciul mysql: Unitatea mysql.service este mascata

RU: Не удается запустить службу mysql: модуль mysql.service замаскирован

VI: Không thể khởi động dịch vụ mysql: Đơn vị mysql.service bị che

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