Can't reset mysql root password

Question

I followed these instructions for resetting the mysql password: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/resetting-permissions.html

But somehow it doesn't work in my environment.

First, I created a sql file that reset root password like this.

UPDATE mysql.user SET Password=PASSWORD('foobar') WHERE User='root';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

And sudo service mysqld stop then sudo mysqld_safe --init-file=/etc/mysql_grant.sql &.

Then I tried to connect database by root mysql -u root -pfoobar, which failed with this error:

ERROR 2002 (HY000): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (111)

Next I tried to use mysqld, but there are not, so I use mysqld_safe instead.

sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &, then mysql -u root.

I tried also sudo service mysqld start --skip-grant-tables, then mysql -u root.

But everything fails with same error message.

What can I do to reset root password anything else?

I'm using CentOS release 6.5 (Final) and mysql --version outputs:

mysql Ver 14.14 Distrib 5.1.73, for redhat-linux-gnu (x86_64) using readline 5.1

Edit

This is my /etc/my.cnf.

[client]
port                           = 3306
socket                         = /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock

[mysqld_safe]
socket                         = /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock

[mysqld]
user                           = mysql
pid-file                       = /var/run/mysql/mysql.pid
socket                         = /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock
port                           = 3306
datadir                        = /var/lib/mysql

[mysql]
!includedir /etc/mysql/conf.d

And I do have /var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock.

Edit 2

sudo mysqld_safe --init-file=/etc/mysql_grant.sql -S /var/lib/mysqld.sock & gave me this message. Somehow it ends just after stating. sudo mysqld_safe --init-file=/etc/mysql_grant.sql -S /var/lib/mysql.sock & gave me same error.

[1] 4700
140411 17:59:52 mysqld_safe Logging to '/var/lib/mysql/[MYSERVERNAME].err'.
140411 17:59:52 mysqld_safe Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /var/lib/mysql
140411 17:59:52 mysqld_safe mysqld from pid file /var/run/mysql/mysql.pid ended

Answer 1

Its not the password reset problem..

Its socket file problem. Kindly set the socket file path in your init file or eplicilty mention it while stating the server.

Thanks