Otdfbt

Should all adjustments be random effects in a mixed linear effect?

multicol package causes underfull hbox

Failing students when it might cause them economic ruin

Combining two Lorentz boosts

How come Arya Stark wasn't hurt by this in Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 5?

Shortest amud or daf in Shas?

Can an airline pilot be prosecuted for killing an unruly passenger who could not be physically restrained?

Working hours and productivity expectations for game artists and programmers

Is it standard to have the first week's pay indefinitely withheld?

Gambler's Fallacy Dice

Is it possible to determine from only a photo of a cityscape whether it was taken close with wide angle or from a distance with zoom?

Can a generation ship withstand its own oxygen and daily wear for many thousands of years?

Is my company merging branches wrong?

Why are stats in Angband written as 18/** instead of 19, 20...?

Should I twist DC power and ground wires from a power supply?

What do you call bracelets you wear around the legs?

Will this series of events work to drown a tarrasque?

How to customize the pie chart background in PowerPoint?

I recently started my machine learning PhD and I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing

FIFO data structure in pure C

Was Tyrion always a poor strategist?

Gaussian kernel density estimation with data from file

Can I modify the report menu?

How do you cope with rejection?

MySQL /nonexistent home vs “No directory, logging in with HOME=/”

Fixing “Can't find file: … (errno: 13)” on mysqlMySQL tmpdir on /dev/shm with SELinuxCopSSH SFTP — limit users access to their home directory onlyHow do I deal with a compromised server?Failure to copy files with ownership/ACL information on a Windows Server 2008 R2 machineSecure connection to MySQL with VPN?Cron job with shell script to repair SFTP directory and file ownershipPuppet: Create directory on nfs share with root_squash setPercona startup fails: mysql can't access directory for file creationFTP account for just one directory

.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty height:90px;width:728px;box-sizing:border-box;

4

3

The preinst script in the Debian/Ubuntu packages for MySQL sets the default home directory for the MySQL server to /nonexistent, presumably as a security measure - the MySQL server has its own datadir path that it uses like a home dir.

However, a side effect of this is that when MySQL starts, it generates this message:

No directory, logging in with HOME=/

What concerns me here is that this does not look good from a security standpoint. It suggests that it would push MySQL to attempt to create files in /; obviously it should fail to do that because of permissions, but it would be better for it not to even try. I've seen answers that 'solve' this by creating the home dir, but that seems nonsensical as the whole point of doing it is that it does not, though it may be 'safe' because MySQL is also set to use /bin/false as its shell.

Would it be safer to set it to something that does exist and that MySQL has ownership of, such as /var/lib/mysql?

Or create the folder, but don't allow MySQL to write to it?

Is there a cleaner solution?

mysql security permissions

share|improve this question

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  My Red Hat system has mysql's home directory set to /var/lib/mysql. Write this off as yet another bad design decision in Debian.
  
  – Michael Hampton♦
  Feb 12 '16 at 16:44
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Same issue with MySQL 5.7.13. Any solutions?
  
  – Santosh
  Jun 10 '16 at 11:41
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Debian has had the MySQL user with /nonexistent as the home directory since at least as far back as 5.5. When I upgraded to MySQL 5.6, I started getting this error. I think it's just MySQL telling you what is really happening. In previous versions, you simply didn't get the warning.
  
  – Christopher Schultz
  Jun 25 '17 at 14:40
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

4

3

The preinst script in the Debian/Ubuntu packages for MySQL sets the default home directory for the MySQL server to /nonexistent, presumably as a security measure - the MySQL server has its own datadir path that it uses like a home dir.

However, a side effect of this is that when MySQL starts, it generates this message:

No directory, logging in with HOME=/

What concerns me here is that this does not look good from a security standpoint. It suggests that it would push MySQL to attempt to create files in /; obviously it should fail to do that because of permissions, but it would be better for it not to even try. I've seen answers that 'solve' this by creating the home dir, but that seems nonsensical as the whole point of doing it is that it does not, though it may be 'safe' because MySQL is also set to use /bin/false as its shell.

Would it be safer to set it to something that does exist and that MySQL has ownership of, such as /var/lib/mysql?

Or create the folder, but don't allow MySQL to write to it?

Is there a cleaner solution?

mysql security permissions

share|improve this question

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  My Red Hat system has mysql's home directory set to /var/lib/mysql. Write this off as yet another bad design decision in Debian.
  
  – Michael Hampton♦
  Feb 12 '16 at 16:44
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Same issue with MySQL 5.7.13. Any solutions?
  
  – Santosh
  Jun 10 '16 at 11:41
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Debian has had the MySQL user with /nonexistent as the home directory since at least as far back as 5.5. When I upgraded to MySQL 5.6, I started getting this error. I think it's just MySQL telling you what is really happening. In previous versions, you simply didn't get the warning.
  
  – Christopher Schultz
  Jun 25 '17 at 14:40
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

The preinst script in the Debian/Ubuntu packages for MySQL sets the default home directory for the MySQL server to /nonexistent, presumably as a security measure - the MySQL server has its own datadir path that it uses like a home dir.

However, a side effect of this is that when MySQL starts, it generates this message:

No directory, logging in with HOME=/

What concerns me here is that this does not look good from a security standpoint. It suggests that it would push MySQL to attempt to create files in /; obviously it should fail to do that because of permissions, but it would be better for it not to even try. I've seen answers that 'solve' this by creating the home dir, but that seems nonsensical as the whole point of doing it is that it does not, though it may be 'safe' because MySQL is also set to use /bin/false as its shell.

Would it be safer to set it to something that does exist and that MySQL has ownership of, such as /var/lib/mysql?

Or create the folder, but don't allow MySQL to write to it?

Is there a cleaner solution?

mysql security permissions

share|improve this question

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

No directory, logging in with HOME=/

share|improve this question

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

share|improve this question

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:16

Community♦

1

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

asked Feb 12 '16 at 9:50

SynchroSynchro

1,84541930

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

1

To get rid of this message you could just assign a home directory to the mysql user:

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo usermod -d /var/lib/mysql/ mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql.service

and the message should be gone. This works for me, but I have not checked if this has any other implications, e.g. regarding security.

share|improve this answer

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I mentioned doing this in the question - it defeats the point of not having a home dir and does indeed have security implications.
  
  – Synchro
  Dec 1 '18 at 13:13
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

Your Answer

StackExchange.ready(function()
var channelOptions =
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "2"
;
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
createEditor();
);

else
createEditor();

);

function createEditor()
StackExchange.prepareEditor(
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: true,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: 10,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader:
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
,
onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
);



);

draft saved

draft discarded

Sign up or log in

StackExchange.ready(function ()
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
);

Sign up using Google

Sign up using Facebook

Sign up using Email and Password

Post as a guest

Name

Email

Required, but never shown

StackExchange.ready(
function ()
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fserverfault.com%2fquestions%2f755763%2fmysql-nonexistent-home-vs-no-directory-logging-in-with-home%23new-answer', 'question_page');

);

Post as a guest

Name

Email

Required, but never shown

1

To get rid of this message you could just assign a home directory to the mysql user:

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo usermod -d /var/lib/mysql/ mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql.service

and the message should be gone. This works for me, but I have not checked if this has any other implications, e.g. regarding security.

share|improve this answer

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I mentioned doing this in the question - it defeats the point of not having a home dir and does indeed have security implications.
  
  – Synchro
  Dec 1 '18 at 13:13
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

1

To get rid of this message you could just assign a home directory to the mysql user:

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo usermod -d /var/lib/mysql/ mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql.service

and the message should be gone. This works for me, but I have not checked if this has any other implications, e.g. regarding security.

share|improve this answer

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I mentioned doing this in the question - it defeats the point of not having a home dir and does indeed have security implications.
  
  – Synchro
  Dec 1 '18 at 13:13
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

To get rid of this message you could just assign a home directory to the mysql user:

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo usermod -d /var/lib/mysql/ mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql.service

and the message should be gone. This works for me, but I have not checked if this has any other implications, e.g. regarding security.

share|improve this answer

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112

sudo systemctl stop mysql.service
sudo usermod -d /var/lib/mysql/ mysql
sudo systemctl start mysql.service

share|improve this answer

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112

answered Dec 1 '18 at 11:48

digijaydigijay

274112