How to move MySQL data directory in Ubuntu Server

Mikael Ståldal

By default, the MySQL data is placed in /var/lib/mysql, which is a reasonable default. However, sometimes you want to place it somewhere else, such as on an other file system. Using a symlink doesn’t seem to work, so you have follow this procedure.

To move the MySQL data directory from /var/lib to /mnt/mydata, run these commands as root:

  1. apt-get install mysql-server
  2. service mysql stop
  3. mv /var/lib/mysql /mnt/mydata/
  4. replace /var/lib/mysql with /mnt/mydata/mysql in
    • /etc/passwd – mysql
    • /etc/mysql/my.cnf – [mysqld] datadir
    • /etc/apparmor.d/usr.sbin.mysqld (twice)
  5. service mysql start