Massed Compute

ssh -i $SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH $SSH_USER@$SSH_HOST 'bash -s' <<'REMOTE'
set -euo pipefail

# Use your actual values here
DB_NAME='your_app_db'
DB_USER='app_user'
DB_PASSWORD='your_secure_app_password_16_chars_min'
MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD='your_secure_root_password_16_chars_min'

# Test application user access
mysql -u"$DB_USER" -p"$DB_PASSWORD" -h 127.0.0.1 "$DB_NAME" -e \
  "CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS recipe_smoke(id int primary key);
   INSERT IGNORE INTO recipe_smoke VALUES (1);
   SELECT COUNT(*) AS rows_ok FROM recipe_smoke;"

# Verify security cleanup
mysql -uroot -p"$MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD" -NBe \
  "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM mysql.user WHERE User='' OR (User='root' AND Host NOT IN ('localhost'));" | grep -qx '0'

# Check service status
sudo systemctl is-active --quiet mysql
sudo ufw status | grep -q '^Status: active'
sudo ss -ltnp | grep -E '127\.0\.0\.1:3306'

echo MYSQL_SMOKE_OK
REMOTE

Troubleshooting

Root Access Denied

If you get "Access denied" errors for the root user after configuration, make sure you're using the correct password and connecting as root:

mysql -uroot -p

Enter your MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD when prompted.

Application User Login Issues

Application users must connect to 127.0.0.1 or localhost. Verify the connection string includes the correct host:

mysql -u app_user -p -h 127.0.0.1 your_app_db

Remote Access Requirements

This configuration restricts MySQL to localhost connections for security. If you need remote access:

• Consider using an application proxy or VPN instead
• For direct access, create host-specific users and add UFW rules for trusted IPs only
• Never expose MySQL with default root credentials to the internet

Firewall Blocking Connections

UFW blocks all incoming connections by default except SSH. Check the firewall status:

sudo ufw status verbose

Skip All of This: Deploy with an AI Agent

This entire MySQL setup guide exists as a tested, machine-readable recipe in the Massed Compute MCP. Instead of running each command manually, you can deploy with natural language through an AI agent.

Add this server config to your MCP-compatible AI client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "massed-compute": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://vm.massedcompute.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer MC_TOKEN" }
    }
  }
}

Then say:

The agent will match your request against the recipe catalog, provision the right VM shape, run the installation and security hardening steps above, and report back with connection details. If any step fails, the agent stops and shows you exactly what went wrong.

This recipe was last tested on June 10, 2026 with a cpu_mini_amd_epyc instance running Ubuntu 24.04.

Quick Setup Reference

For experienced users, here's the essential command sequence:

# 1. Launch Ubuntu 24.04 VM with SSH key
# 2. Set your variables: DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD
# 3. Install and secure:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y mysql-server ufw
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH && sudo ufw --force enable
sudo sed -i "s/^bind-address.*/bind-address = 127.0.0.1/" /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf
sudo systemctl enable --now mysql && sudo systemctl restart mysql

# 4. Run MySQL security script with your variables
# 5. Test with: mysql -u app_user -p -h 127.0.0.1 your_app_db

Frequently Asked Questions