php mysqli_connect: authentication method unknown to the client [caching_sha2_password]

Question

I am using php mysqli_connect for login to a MySQL database (all on localhost)

Answer 1

Now you can upgrade to PHP7.4 and MySQL will go with caching_sha2_password by default, so default MySQL installation will work with mysqli_connect No configuration required.

Answer 2

If you're on a Mac, here's how to fix it. This is after tons of trial and error. Hope this helps others..

Debugging:

$mysql --verbose --help | grep my.cnf

$ which mysql
/usr/local/bin/mysql

Resolution: nano /usr/local/etc/my.cnf

Add: default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password

-------
# Default Homebrew MySQL server config
[mysqld]
# Only allow connections from localhost
bind-address = 127.0.0.1
default-authentication-plugin=mysql_native_password
------

Finally Run: brew services restart mysql

Answer 3

As of PHP 7.4, this is no longer an issue. Support for caching_sha2 authentication method has been added to mysqlnd.

---

Currently, PHP mysqli extension do not support new caching_sha2 authentication feature. You have to wait until they release an update.

Check related post from MySQL developers: https://mysqlserverteam.com/upgrading-to-mysql-8-0-default-authentication-plugin-considerations/

They didn't mention PDO, maybe you should try to connect with PDO.

Answer 4

It's working for me (PHP 5.6 + PDO / MySQL Server 8.0 / Windows 7 64bits)

Edit the file C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\my.ini:

default_authentication_plugin=mysql_native_password

Reset MySQL service on Windows, and in the MySQL Shell...

ALTER USER my_user@'%' IDENTIFIED WITH mysql_native_password BY 'password';

Answer 5

I think it is not useful to configure the mysql server without caching_sha2_password encryption, we have to find a way to publish, send or obtain secure information through the network. As you see in the code below I dont use variable $db_name, and Im using a user in mysql server with standar configuration password. Just create a Standar user password and config all privilages. it works, but how i said without segurity.

<?php
$db_name="db";
$mysql_username="root";
$mysql_password="****";
$server_name="localhost";
$conn=mysqli_connect($server_name,$mysql_username,$mysql_password);

if ($conn) {
    echo "connetion success";
}
else{
    echo mysqli_error($conn);
}

?>