Mysql version 8.4 (LTS), 9.0 and 9.1 (Innovation) for Laragon 6

[borhanuddin]

This guide is to help those who struggled to use MySQL version 8.4 and above.
This simplified guide has been created based on reading the below articles (credits to the owner):

• I can't use MySQL 9 #822
• MySQL 8.4.0 : default_authentication_plugin=mysql_native_password has been removed #772
• https://gist.github.com/meorajrul/b57803bf1b4ddfd2f93e6ad37c3ac5f2

WARNING! Please back up/dump all your databases. I'm not responsible for any data loss by following this guide.

In this example, I'm using MySQL version 9.1 as a reference.

1. Download and extract the MySQL zip file to the C:\laragon\bin\mysql folder.
2. Right-click on Laragon Tray and switch to MySQL 9.1 version.
3. Start MySQL (this will initialise MySQL data and produce an error message; ignore the error and click OK). We do this just to create a my.ini file, which can be located in C:\laragon\bin\mysql\mysql-9.1.0-winx64.
4. Open my.ini file.
5. REMOVE the line default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password from the file, save it, and close the file.
6. Set the file my.ini as READ-ONLY (to avoid Laragon overriding settings using the old template).
7. Navigate to C:\laragon\data and DELETE folder mysql-9 (this folder is being created when we first start the MySQL in step no. 3).
8. Start MySQL again.

MySQL will start successfully.

If you want to use HeidiSQL as your database client software, make sure you check the "Prompt for credentials" option under Hostname/IP. A credential pop-up box will appear. Just click the LOGIN button without any password.

I hope that people who needed this guide found it useful.

[FlavioSuarez]

Warning!!
On MySQL 9.0, the mysql_native_password plugin was removed completely.
Before upgrading MySQL, change the authentication plugin of the MySQL users (this includes the root user) to caching_sha2_password.
More info at
https://php.watch/articles/fix-php-mysql-84-mysql_native_password-not-loaded

[Ringoinmel]

It doesn't work and the screen shows initializing for 10 minutes and then I need to stop it