Jira clean install "You have specified a database that is not empty"

Question

I'm installing Jira locally with the latest version (7.13 x64 version). When doing the custom install and trying to switch to using MySQL as the database, I get the error:

You have specified a database that is not empty, please specify an empty database.

The database is brand new, I literally just created it and if I query it I can see it has no tables created. I created the database (and several others) using either the standard CREATE DATABASE ... or be specifying UTF-8 as well, which is how the Atlassisn docs suggest it is done.

But, no matter what I do, the same error keeps appearing. Topics on the Atlassian site mentioning this error haven't been any help and all seem to do with version conflicts which aren't relevant here.

I have installed the Java/MySQL connector version 8.0.13. Is it something to do with that?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

I know is so late for answer but say answer to other searcher this question

I found this error in the logs which lead me to https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JRASERVER-67274

Loading class com.mysql.jdbc.Driver'. This is deprecated. The new driver class is com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver'. The driver is automatically registered via the SPI and manual loading of the driver class is generally unnecessary.

The long and short of it is you need an older mysql-connector-java-5.1.x.jar driver instead of the latest mysql-connector-java-8.0.x.jar that the documentation would lead you to install.

Reverting my driver to mysql-connector-java-5.1.49.jar fixed the issue for me.

Answer 2

It was the JDBC connector that was the problem. I downloaded and installed the latest (version 8.0.13) but it was causing the error. Installing version 5.1.47 works just fine, even though it isn't recommended for use with MySQL 5.6, which I'm using.

But, using that connector, I have a database installed and Jira is functioning as it should.