If you're experiencing the error "phpMyAdmin tried to connect to the MySQL server, and the server rejected the connection," there's a good chance that the issue is related to incorrect configuration settings in your MySQL server. This error can happen due to various reasons, including incorrect host, username, password, or port settings or a faulty phpMyAdmin configuration. One common solution is to ensure that MySQL is configured to use the correct port. In this article, we'll walk you through the steps to resolve this error by configuring MySQL.

Understanding the Error

Check phpMyAdmin connection

When phpMyAdmin is unable to connect to the MySQL server, it typically suggests a misconfiguration in one or more of the following areas:

Host: The MySQL server's address.
Username: The MySQL username used to connect.
Password: The corresponding password.
Port: The port number on which MySQL is listening (typically 3306).

To fix this error, we'll focus on ensuring that MySQL is listening on port 3306, which is the default port for MySQL and having a proper phpMyAdmin configuration. If this port is commented out or not correctly set in the MySQL configuration, or phpMyAdmin is not configured properly, it may fail to connect.

Step-by-Step Guide to Fix the Error

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to resolve this connection error by configuring MySQL to use port 330##

Step 1: Access MySQL Configuration File

To start, you need to access the MySQL configuration file, which is generally located at /etc/mysql/my.cnf. You can use a text editor to open and edit this file. In this guide, we use nvim (NeoVim), but you can also use other editors like vim or nano.

Open a terminal and enter the following command to edit the configuration file:

sudo nvim /etc/mysql/my.cnf

Step 2: Check and Configure the Port

Once you've opened the configuration file, look for the following line:

#port = 3306

If the port setting is commented out (with a # at the beginning), it means that MySQL is using the default port but may not explicitly specify it. Uncomment this line by removing the #, ensuring that it reads as follows:

port = 3306

Step 3: Save and Restart MySQL

After making the change, save the file and exit the text editor. Then, restart the MySQL server to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart mysql

Step 4: Check phpMyAdmin configuration

XAMPP might need a different phpmyadmin configuration from what it comes with. Download phpmydamin separately and unzip it, and then replace the phpmyadmin folder in XAMMP with this new download. Configure the hostname, username and password as required to match and connect with you mySQL database. Restart XAMPP and the connection will be well established.

Step 5: Check phpMyAdmin Connection

With the port correctly set and MySQL restarted, try accessing phpMyadmin again to see if the error is resolved. If the connection works, you've successfully fixed the problem.

Conclusion
If you encounter the error "phpMyAdmin tried to connect to the MySQL server, and the server rejected the connection," the problem is likely due to misconfigured MySQL settings. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly resolve this issue by ensuring MySQL is listening on port 3306. With this solution, you should be able to restore phpMyAdmin's functionality and resume managing your MySQL databases without any interruptions.

And if these steps do not work, you remove the XAMPP folder completely and do a fresh stand-alone installation of XAMMP into phpmyadmin to replace the old XAMMP folder because XAMMP itself could be corrupt or just use XAMMP and MySQL by itself directly from the terminal to reach the database without ever using PHPmyAdmin.