How to Install MySQL 8.4 on AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux

MySQL 8.4 is the first Long-Term Support (LTS) release in the MySQL 8.x cycle, launched in April 2024. This LTS status guarantees Premier Support from Oracle until April 2029 and Extended Support until April 2032. This makes it the most stable choice for production environments that require long-term continuity. As of April 2026, the latest version of MySQL 8.4 is 8.4.9.

AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are RHEL (Red Hat Enterprise Linux) based Linux distributions that are binary-compatible. Both are widely used in server, cloud, and enterprise environments due to their long support cycles and proven stability. Oracle provides official RPM repositories to support these distributions, ensuring a smooth MySQL installation process without needing to compile from source.

System Preparation

Ensure the system meets the following requirements before starting the installation to avoid any issues.

1. Update System Packages

Update all system packages to the latest versions to ensure required dependencies are available and there are no version conflicts:

sudo dnf update -y

The server needs to be restarted if a kernel update is available, so the new kernel becomes active before proceeding with the installation.

2. Access Permissions

The account used must have sudo privileges or be logged in as root. All commands in this guide use the sudo prefix.

3. Disable Default MySQL Module (EL8 Only)

AlmaLinux 8 and Rocky Linux 8 use the DNF module system (AppStream) which includes its own MySQL version. This module must be disabled so that the official Oracle repository can be used without conflicts:

# Only for AlmaLinux 8 / Rocky Linux 8
sudo dnf module disable mysql -y

This step is not required on EL9 and EL10 because there is no active MySQL AppStream module by default.

Adding the Official MySQL Repository

Oracle provides a repository configuration RPM package that can be downloaded directly from MySQL Community Downloads. This package will automatically add the .repo file to the /etc/yum.repos.d/ directory.

1. Choose the Correct Repository Package

The RPM package must be selected according to the operating system version. The following table details the MySQL 8.4 repository file names for each version:

Verify the system version before proceeding:

cat /etc/os-release

2. Install the Repository

The repository can be added directly using dnf install with the full URL without needing to download the RPM file separately. Use the appropriate command for your system version:

AlmaLinux 10 / Rocky Linux 10 (EL10)

sudo dnf install https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql84-community-release-el10-3.noarch.rpm -y

AlmaLinux 9 / Rocky Linux 9 (EL9)

sudo dnf install https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql84-community-release-el9-4.noarch.rpm -y

AlmaLinux 8 / Rocky Linux 8 (EL8)

sudo dnf install https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql84-community-release-el8-3.noarch.rpm -y

3. Verify and Select the Repository Series

Check the active MySQL repositories after the repository RPM installation is complete:

sudo dnf repolist enabled | grep mysql

The MySQL repository RPM package registers several series at once. The series active by default is usually the latest series, so the output may show series 9.7 (not 8.4):

mysql-9.7-lts-community       MySQL 9.7 LTS Community Server
mysql-connectors-community    MySQL Connectors Community
mysql-tools-9.7-lts-community MySQL Tools 9.7 LTS Community

Run the following command to list all available MySQL repositories (both enabled and disabled):

sudo dnf repolist all | grep mysql

Caution: Default Repository Series May Differ
The default active repository may change following the latest MySQL releases. The 9.x series must be disabled first and the 8.4 series must be explicitly enabled if the goal is to install MySQL 8.4 LTS.

4. Enable the MySQL 8.4 LTS Repository

Use dnf config-manager to disable the 9.7 LTS series and enable the 8.4 LTS series:

# Disable 9.7 LTS series
sudo dnf config-manager --disable mysql-9.7-lts-community
sudo dnf config-manager --disable mysql-tools-9.7-lts-community

# Enable 8.4 LTS series
sudo dnf config-manager --enable mysql-8.4-lts-community
sudo dnf config-manager --enable mysql-tools-8.4-lts-community

Verify again that the enabled repositories are correct:

sudo dnf repolist enabled | grep mysql

Output after reconfiguration:

mysql-8.4-lts-community        MySQL 8.4 LTS Community Server
mysql-connectors-community     MySQL Connectors Community
mysql-tools-8.4-lts-community  MySQL Tools 8.4 LTS Community

MySQL 8.4 Installation Process

1. Install MySQL Community Server

Run the main installation command to install MySQL Community Server along with required components:

sudo dnf install mysql-community-server -y

This process will download and install the mysql-community-server, mysql-community-client, mysql-community-common packages, and other dependencies automatically.

2. Verify Installation

Check the installed version to ensure MySQL is properly installed:

mysql --version

Expected output:

mysql  Ver 8.4.9 for Linux on x86_64 (MySQL Community Server - GPL)

The version number may differ depending on the latest release at the time of installation, but it must display version 8.4.x.

Service Configuration

1. Start MySQL

Start the mysqld service using systemctl:

sudo systemctl start mysqld

2. Enable Auto-Start at Boot

Enable the service to run at system startup so MySQL automatically starts every time the server reboots:

sudo systemctl enable mysqld

Both commands above can be combined into one:

sudo systemctl enable --now mysqld

3. Verify Service Status

Ensure the MySQL service is running normally before proceeding to the next step:

sudo systemctl status mysqld

The service is running well if the output shows status active (running):

● mysqld.service - MySQL Server
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/mysqld.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
     Active: active (running) since Mon 2026-05-04 12:13:47 UTC; 3s ago
       Docs: man:mysqld(8)
             http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/en/using-systemd.html
    Process: 6042 ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/mysqld_pre_systemd (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
   Main PID: 6109 (mysqld)
     Status: "Server is operational"
      Tasks: 35 (limit: 4365)
     Memory: 443.7M (peak: 451.0M)
        CPU: 4.875s
     CGroup: /system.slice/mysqld.service
             └─6109 /usr/sbin/mysqld

Basic Security

MySQL 8.4 generates a temporary password for the root account upon first initialization. This step must be completed immediately before the server can be used.

1. Get the Temporary Password

The initial root password is stored in the MySQL system log. Retrieve the password using the command:

sudo grep 'temporary password' /var/log/mysqld.log

The output will include a line like the following:

2026-05-04T12:13:44.830444Z 6 [Note] [MY-010454] [Server] A temporary password is generated for root@localhost: 7)gs!?gMk)pu

Copy the password at the end of that line (example: 7)gs!?gMk)pu). This password is temporary and will be changed in the next step.

2. Run the Security Script

Run the mysql_secure_installation script to secure the MySQL installation. This script will guide you through basic security setup interactively:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

The script will ask a series of questions. Here is a guide for each option:

Enter the Temporary Password

Enter password for user root: [enter the temporary password from the log]

Change Root Password

A new password must be set immediately because the old password has expired.

New password: [enter a strong new password]
Re-enter new password: [repeat the new password]

MySQL 8.4 Password Policy: MySQL 8.4 uses the validate_password plugin which requires passwords to meet certain criteria, namely at least 8 characters and containing uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Example strong password: MyS3rv3r@Pass!

Advanced Security Options

# Enable password validation (choose Y for optimal security)
Would you like to setup VALIDATE PASSWORD component? [Y/n]: Y

# Password policy level (choose 0=LOW, 1=MEDIUM, 2=STRONG)
Please enter 0 = LOW, 1 = MEDIUM and 2 = STRONG: 1

# Remove anonymous users
Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y

# Disallow root login remotely
Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y

# Remove test database
Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Y

# Reload privilege tables
Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Y

Security Recommendations

Choosing Y (Yes) is recommended for all options above on production servers. Remote root access should be disabled. A dedicated database account with limited privileges should be used for application connections.

3. Verify Login with the New Password

Test login using the new root password after the script finishes:

mysql -u root -p

Enter the new password when prompted. The MySQL console will open if the process is successful:

Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 11
Server version: 8.4.9 MySQL Community Server - GPL

Type exit or quit to exit the MySQL console.

Conclusion

MySQL 8.4 LTS is a solid database choice for AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux based infrastructures because its installation process is relatively simple through the official Oracle repository. This guide has covered the important steps from system preparation, package installation, to access hardening using the standard script. Further implementations such as automated backup strategies and performance monitoring are highly recommended to maintain stability and security in production environments.