How To Fix the lower_case_table_names Issue in MySQL 8 on Linux Server

NetShop ISP · Blog Author

Sep 26, 2025 · Technical Tutorials

When running MySQL 8 on Linux servers, you may encounter problems with case sensitivity in table names.

On Linux, file systems are case-sensitive, which means Table1 and table1 are treated as different objects. On Windows or macOS, however, MySQL defaults to case-insensitive behavior.

This difference can lead to issues such as:

Failing imports of database dumps created on Windows servers
Failing to synchronize data with Forex CRM systems that use lowercase table names as the MetaTrader 4 application uses uppercase format.
WordPress or other CMS breaking due to mismatched table casing
Replication errors when syncing from case-insensitive servers

The MySQL system variable lower_case_table_names controls this behavior.

In this guide, we explain how to correctly configure lower_case_table_names=1 in MySQL 8 running on any Linux distribution (Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Rocky, AlmaLinux, etc.).

Prerequisites

A server running Linux with MySQL 8.x installed
Root or sudo access
A full database backup (the process we describe in this tutorial wipes the MySQL system tables)

Step 1: Stop the MySQL Service

The command to stop MySQL differs slightly by distribution:

Debian/Ubuntu:

root@localhost:~$ systemctl stop mysql

CentOS/RHEL/RockyLinux/AlmaLinux:

root@localhost:~$ systemctl stop mysqld

Step 2: Check Existing Configurations

Make sure there are no conflicting entries for lower_case_table_names in the mysql configuration files:

root@localhost:~$ grep -RIn "lower_case_table_names" /etc/mysql /etc/my.cnf* || true

Edit your MySQL configuration file (my.cnf) and set:

[mysqld]
lower_case_table_names=1

Debian/Ubuntu: /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d/mysqld.cnf
CentOS/RHEL-based: /etc/my.cnf or /etc/my.cnf.d/custom.cnf

Step 3: Confirm the Data Directory

Check which datadir MySQL is using:

root@localhost:~$ grep -RIn "^datadir" /etc/mysql /etc/my.cnf* || true

The default is usually /var/lib/mysql.

Step 4: Wipe and Recreate the Data Directory

Important: This destroys MySQL system tables. Ensure you have backups !!!

root@localhost:~$ rm -rf /var/lib/mysql/*
root@localhost:~$ mkdir -p /var/lib/mysql
root@localhost:~$ chown mysql:mysql /var/lib/mysql

Note: Replace /var/lib/mysql if your server uses a different datadir.

Step 5: Initialize MySQL with Lowercase Setting

Run the following command to reinitialize the system tables:

root@localhost:~$ sudo -u mysql /usr/sbin/mysqld \
  --no-defaults \
  --initialize-insecure \
  --lower_case_table_names=1 \
  --datadir=/var/lib/mysql \
  --log-error=/var/log/mysql/error.log


This ensures the lower_case_table_names=1 is embedded in the system dictionary.

Step 6: Restart MySQL

Start the service again:

Debian/Ubuntu/CentOS/RHEL/RockyLinux/AlmaLinux:

root@localhost:~$ systemctl start mysql

Step 7: Verify the Configuration

Check if MySQL is now case-insensitive:

root@localhost:~$ mysql -u root --skip-password -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'lower_case_table_names';"

Expected output:

+------------------------+-------+
| Variable_name          | Value |
+------------------------+-------+
| lower_case_table_names | 1     |
+------------------------+-------+

Step 8: Reset the Root Password

Since MySQL was initialized insecurely, you must set a new root password:

root@localhost:~$ mysql -u root --skip-password -e "ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'YourNewPassword'; ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' PASSWORD EXPIRE NEVER;"

Conclusion

By forcing lower_case_table_names=1 during initialization, you ensure consistent, case-insensitive table handling for your MySQL databases.

Remember: you must set this variable before the data dictionary is created — changing it afterward is not supported.

At NetShop ISP, we help businesses configure, optimize, and troubleshoot databases, servers, and hosting infrastructure. Need expert assistance with MySQL migrations or performance tuning? Get in touch with our team.