Installing and Configuring MySQL 8.0 on Ubuntu for Production Use

In this blog, we will walk through the complete installation and basic production-level configuration of MySQL 8.0 on Ubuntu Linux.

The guide covers:
• Installing MySQL Server
• Securing the installation
• Understanding important MySQL directories
• Configuring performance and binary logging
• Enabling Point-in-Time Recovery (PITR)
• Creating databases and users
• Preparing a dedicated backup user for Commvault integration

Step 1: Update the Server

apt update

Step 2: Install MySQL Server

apt install -y mysql-server

Step 3: Secure the MySQL Installation

mysql_secure_installation

Step 4: Verify MySQL Service Status

systemctl status mysql

Important MySQL Default Directories

Purpose	Path
Data Directory	/var/lib/mysql
Configuration File	/etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf
Logs	/var/log/mysql/
Socket File	/var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock

MySQL Configuration Parameters

[mysqld]bind-address = 0.0.0.0

# InnoDB tuning
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 2G
innodb_log_file_size = 512M
innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 1

# Binary logs (IMPORTANT for PITR)
log_bin = /var/log/mysql/mysql-bin
binlog_format = ROW
server-id = 1
expire_logs_days = 7

# Logging
slow_query_log = 1
slow_query_log_file = /var/log/mysql/mysql-slow.log

Creating Database and Users

CREATE DATABASE test_mysql;

CREATE USER ‘testuser’@’%’ IDENTIFIED BY ‘Pass@123’;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON test_mysql.* TO ‘testuser’@’%’;

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Best Practices

• Restrict remote access to trusted IPs only.
• Use strong passwords in production environments.
• Enable firewall rules for port 3306.
• Configure regular backups and binary log retention.
• Monitor slow query logs regularly.

Conclusion

This setup provides a strong foundation for MySQL administration, backup strategies, replication, disaster recovery, and performance tuning.