Step 1: Stop MySQL Service.
sudo stop mysql
Step 2: Kill all running mysqld.
sudo killall -9 mysqld
Step 3: Starting mysqld in Safe mode.
sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &
Step 4: Start mysql client
mysql -u root
Step 5: After successful login, please execute this command to change any password.
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
Step 6: You can update mysql root password .
UPDATE mysql.user SET Password=PASSWORD('newpwd') WHERE User='root';
Step 7: Please execute this command.
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
Gently copied from http://askubuntu.com/questions/489098/unable-to-reset-root-password-of-mysql
Original solution from http://www.dbrnd.com/2015/08/reset-mysql-root-password-ubuntu/