mysql8-server @8.4.8 fails to initialise on macOS High Sierra, Version 10.13.6

[ballapete (Peter "Pete" Dyballa)]

root 325 /\ rm -rf /opt/local/var/db/mysql8/*
root 326 /\ /opt/local/lib/mysql8/bin/mysqld --initialize --user=_mysql
2026-04-23T07:21:37.846325Z 0 [System] [MY-015017] [Server] MySQL Server Initialization - start.
2026-04-23T07:21:37.849394Z 0 [System] [MY-013169] [Server] /opt/local/lib/mysql8/bin/mysqld (mysqld 8.4.8) initializing of server in progress as process 98275
2026-04-23T07:21:37.860864Z 1 [System] [MY-013576] [InnoDB] InnoDB initialization has started.
2026-04-23T07:21:37.866430Z 1 [ERROR] [MY-012576] [InnoDB] Unable to create temporary file inside "/var/folders/dq/9fbvqzn50cs6znm9h1vd3l6w0000gp/T/"; errno: 13
2026-04-23T07:21:37.866467Z 1 [ERROR] [MY-012929] [InnoDB] InnoDB Database creation was aborted with error Generic error. You may need to delete the ibdata1 file before trying to start up again.
2026-04-23T07:21:37.866646Z 0 [ERROR] [MY-010020] [Server] Data Dictionary initialization failed.
2026-04-23T07:21:37.866665Z 0 [ERROR] [MY-013236] [Server] The designated data directory /opt/local/var/db/mysql8/ is unusable. You can remove all files that the server added to it.
2026-04-23T07:21:37.866678Z 0 [ERROR] [MY-010119] [Server] Aborting
2026-04-23T07:21:37.867582Z 0 [System] [MY-015018] [Server] MySQL Server Initialization - end.
root 327 /\ l /opt/local/var/db/mysql8
total 8
-rw-r--r--  1 root    _mysql   0 23 Apr 09:17 .turd_mysql8-server
-rw-r-----  1 _mysql  _mysql  56 23 Apr 09:21 auto.cnf

The directory "/var/folders/dq/9fbvqzn50cs6znm9h1vd3l6w0000gp/T/" belongs to me:

root 329 /\ l /var/folders/dq/9fbvqzn50cs6znm9h1vd3l6w0000gp
total 24
-rw-r--r--@   1 pete  staff  8196 22 Feb  2021 .DS_Store
drwxr-xr-x   12 pete  staff   476 22 Apr 14:20 0
drwx------  106 pete  staff  3774 22 Apr 12:28 C
drwx------   69 pete  staff  2482 23 Apr 09:18 T

[ballapete (Peter "Pete" Dyballa)]

The described problem only occurs when I am performing the command as super-user root, while when invoked with sudo from my own account it succeeds.

[herbygillot (Herby Gillot)]

Please:

• completely uninstall mysql8 and mysql8-server
• delete the opt/local/var/db/mysql8 directory completely
• do a sudo port selfupdate to get the latest port definitions
• reinstall mysql8-server
• follow the instructions in the notes provided when the installation is complete.

If you are still having issues, please post the log here.

Also as a side note, mysql9 / mysql9-server are also now available.