How to Fix: MySQL Server Has Gone Away Error on macOS

In this post, I’ll address a common issue many developers face when working with MySQL on macOS: the “MySQL server has gone away” error. This error can be frustrating, but it’s usually straightforward to fix.

Understanding the Error

When connecting to MySQL via the terminal using mysql -u root, you might encounter the following error messages:

ERROR 2006 (HY000): MySQL server has gone away
No connection. Trying to reconnect...
ERROR 2013 (HY000): Lost connection to MySQL server at 'reading initial communication packet', system error: 102
ERROR:
Can't connect to the server

Possible Causes

This error typically occurs due to:

• Server timeout settings
• Network issues
• Incorrect configurations

Step-by-Step Solution

Step 1: Restart MySQL Service

One of the simplest troubleshooting steps is to restart the MySQL service. This can resolve many transient issues.

sudo killall mysqld
mysql.server start

Step 2: Check MySQL Configuration

Ensure your MySQL configuration (my.cnf or my.ini) is set up correctly. Key settings to check include:

• max_allowed_packet
• wait_timeout
• interactive_timeout

Step 3: Monitor Logs

Check MySQL logs for any additional error messages that might give more context to the issue. Logs are typically located in /usr/local/var/mysql.

Step 4: Verify Network Stability

Ensure your network connection is stable, as intermittent connectivity can cause these types of errors.

Additional Tips

• Regular Maintenance: Regularly check and maintain your MySQL server to prevent such issues.
• Backup Data: Always backup your data before making any significant changes.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the “MySQL server has gone away” error and continue your development smoothly.

Success 🎉