Change the database password (phpMyAdmin)

The database root password is used both by phpMyAdmin and by your FiveM server (mysql_connection_string line in server.cfg). Change it if you think it leaked, if a former staff member knew it, or simply to pick a stronger one.

Before you start

As soon as the password changes, your FiveM server can no longer connect to the database until you update server.cfg (see Final step). Do it outside peak hours, and write the new password down before confirming.

Method 1: from phpMyAdmin (easiest)

Open phpMyAdmin

1. On the VPS dashboard, phpMyAdmin block, click Voir (Show) to reveal the current password, then Ouvrir phpMyAdmin (Open phpMyAdmin)
2. Sign in with the root user and that password

1. Modifier le mot de passe (Change password): changes the password of the account you are signed in with (root)

Change the password

Click Modifier le mot de passe under Paramètres généraux (General settings):

1. Keep Mot de passe (Password) ticked, then type the new password in Saisir (Enter) and Saisir à nouveau (Re-type). The Force (Strength) gauge should be green (Fort / Strong)
2. Or click Générer (Generate): phpMyAdmin creates a strong random password, shows it in the field on the right and fills both fields. Copy it right away
3. Exécuter (Go) applies the change
4. Annuler (Cancel) closes the dialog without changing anything

Never tick “Aucun mot de passe” (No password)

Your database would then be reachable without a password.

After Exécuter, phpMyAdmin signs you out: sign back in with the new password.

Then go to the final step.

Method 2: over SSH (advanced)

Useful if phpMyAdmin isn’t reachable, or if you prefer the command line.

1. Connect to the VPS

ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

Your SSH credentials are in the VPS Security → SSH Access tab (see VPS security).

2. Open the MariaDB console

mariadb -u root -p

Type the current database password (nothing shows while typing, that’s normal). The prompt becomes MariaDB [(none)]>.

3. Change the password

Replace NewPassword with your password, keeping the quotes:

ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'NewPassword';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Both commands should answer Query OK.

4. Check

mariadb -u root -p -e "SELECT 'connection OK';"

Type the new password: the command should print connection OK.

Generate a strong password over SSH

openssl rand -base64 24

Avoid ' and " in the password: they complicate SQL commands and server.cfg.

Forgot the current password?

If you no longer know the current password and Voir in the portal no longer works, you can reset it by restarting MariaDB without privilege checks:

systemctl stop mariadb
mariadbd-safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &
sleep 5
mariadb -u root

Then in the MariaDB console:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'NewPassword';
EXIT;

Finally, restart MariaDB normally:

mariadb-admin -u root -p shutdown
systemctl start mariadb
systemctl status mariadb --no-pager

Danger

During this procedure, the database is reachable without a password locally (--skip-networking cuts it from the network). Never leave it in that state: always finish with the normal MariaDB restart.

Final step: update server.cfg

Your FiveM server uses the password in the mysql_connection_string line of your server.cfg (or in a framework config file). Update it with the new password:

set mysql_connection_string "mysql://root:NewPassword@127.0.0.1/fivem?charset=utf8mb4"

Special characters

In the mysql:// format, the characters @, :, /, #, ? and % in the password break the address. Two options:

• pick a password with only letters and digits (long, for example 24 characters)
• or use the “key=value” format, which accepts any character:

set mysql_connection_string "user=root;password=NewPassword;host=127.0.0.1;port=3306;database=fivem;charset=utf8mb4"

Then restart the server from txAdmin and check the console shows no connection error (Access denied for user 'root').

Customer portal

The password shown by Voir in the dashboard phpMyAdmin block is the one created at install time: it may not follow your change. Keep the new password in a password manager.

Going further

• Close MySQL to the public with Anti-DDoS restricted access: only your IPs will reach port 3306
• For a script or a developer, create a dedicated user in Comptes utilisateurs → Ajouter un compte d’utilisateur (Add user account), with rights limited to the fivem database, instead of sharing root