How to Fix the "Unknown Database" Error When Connecting to MySQL?

The error ERROR 1049 (42000): Unknown database 'default' occurs when MySQL cannot locate the database specified in your connection command. This typically happens if:

• You are connecting to the wrong Vultr Managed Database cluster.
• The database name in your connection string does not match any database that exists in the selected cluster.

To resolve the Unknown database error:

• Use the correct hostname and port from the Connection Details section on your database's Overview page.

• Verify the database exists:

  1. Connect to the MySQL client without specifying a database:

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     $ mysql --host="<hostname>" --port=<port> --user="<username>" -p

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  2. List all available databases:

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     mysql> SHOW DATABASES;

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  3. If your target database is missing, create it:

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     mysql> CREATE DATABASE <database_name>;

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  Note

  MySQL database names are case-sensitive on Unix-based systems, including Vultr’s default Linux environments. Ensure the name matches exactly.