Unable to Access PhpMyAdmin in cPanel

In this tutorial, we will explore different methods to access PhpMyAdmin in cPanel.

PhpMyAdmin is a free web application that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for managing the MySQL database administration system. It allows users to perform tasks like creating databases, running queries, and adding user accounts. This tool is compatible with various operating systems and written in PHP to handle the administration of MySQL or MariaDB database servers.

Options available for managing databases using phpMyAdmin:

1) Structure: It refers to the database’s design, which helps organize schemas, tables, and columns.

2) SQL: This is a structured query language used for managing data in the database management system. It enables administrators to run SQL queries on MySQL or MariaDB servers.

3) Search: Allows users to search for specific words or values within the database tables.

4) Query: A request for data or information from a database table or combination of tables. SQL defines a set of instructions such as SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, CREATE TABLE, and more.

5) Export: Gives the option to export the database in various formats like CSV, PDF, SQL, XML, Text, etc.

6) Import: Enables importing databases in different formats such as OpenDocument Spreadsheet, CSV, SQL, ESRI Shapefile, XML.

7) Operations: Provides various operations to be executed on the entire database or a specific table.

Sometimes, users might encounter difficulties in using phpMyAdmin in cPanel. One common error with MariaDB is:

mariadb.service stop-final-sigterm timed out. Skipping SIGKILL. Entering failed mode

To investigate the issue further, we need to log in to the server (as root using SSH) and execute the following command:

cat /var/lib/mysql/server.hostname.err

After executing the command, you will see the error message on the console, similar to this:

Mar 27 20:17:36 t4w6.xentio.lan mysqld[6303]: 2019-03-27 20:17:36 0 [Note] /usr/sbin/mysqld (mysqld 10.3.5-MariaDB) starting as process 6303 …
Mar 27 20:17:37 t4w6.xentio.lan systemd[1]: mariadb.service: main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Mar 27 20:20:37 t4w6.xentio.lan systemd[1]: mariadb.service stop-final-sigterm timed out. Skipping SIGKILL. Entering failed mode.
Mar 27 20:20:37 t4w6.xentio.lan systemd[1]: Failed to start MariaDB 10.3.5 database server.
Mar 27 20:20:37 t4w6.xentio.lan systemd[1]: Unit mariadb.service entered failed state.
Mar 27 20:20:37 t4w6.xentio.lan systemd[1]: mariadb.service failed.

To resolve this issue, please follow the steps below:

1) Log in to the server as root user via SSH.

2) Start MySQL using the following command.

service mysql start

3) Navigate to the following location.

cd /var/lib/mysql

4) Here, you will find a file named tc.log. It is a text file containing a list of binary logs created with a fresh installation of MariaDB. Rename this file to a different name like tc.log-bk