How to start, stop, and restart a MySQL database server?

This is just a guide on how to start, stop, and restart MySQL Server on macOS, Linux, and Windows in case you forgot.

1. On Mac

You can start/stop/restart MySQL Server via the command line.

• For the version of MySQL older than 5.7:

sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start
sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server stop
sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server restart

• For the MySQL version 5.7 and newer:

sudo launchctl load -F /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.oracle.oss.mysql.mysqld.plist
sudo launchctl unload -F /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.oracle.oss.mysql.mysqld.plist

• Or you can turn it on/off via the macOS Preference Panel

There’s another way which you can use DBngin, an free utility to install and manage multiple database servers on Mac.

• To turn on/off, it’s just one click away from the server control panel:

2. On Linux

• On Linux start/stop from the command line:

/etc/init.d/mysqld start
/etc/init.d/mysqld stop
/etc/init.d/mysqld restart

• Some Linux flavours offer the service command too

service mysqld start
service mysqld stop
service mysqld restart

• or

service mysql start
service mysql stop
service mysql restart

3. On Windows

• Open Run Window by Winkey + R
• Type services.msc
• Search MySQL service based on version installed.
• Click stop, start or restart the service option.

Or you can start/stop MySQL from the command prompt:

C:> "C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Server 8.0binmysqld"
C:> "C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Server 8.0binmysqladmin" -u root shutdown