Mysql server 8 error at startup: "The server quit without updating PID file"

Question

On my Macbook Pro with macOS 10.14.3 Mojave, I am installing mysql server 8.0.15 using homebrew like so:

brew install mysql

However, after I have done that, it cannot be started and gives the following error message:

ERROR! The server quit without updating PID file (/usr/local/var/mysql/<hostname>.local.pid).

I have tried numerous times to remove then reinstall, both trough

brew remove mysql
brew cleanup
brew install mysql

and

brew remove mysql
brew cleanup
brew reinstall mysql

The result is always the same.

I know there is a similar thread here, but it seems to refer mysql 5.X, and the remedies suggested in that thread do not work or do not apply.

Answer 1

The problem turned out to be that

brew remove mysql

did not remove all instances of mysql. There were still an instance from a previous installation installed in /usr/local/mysql/ which interfered with the new installation.

So

sudo rm -rf /usr/local/mysql/*

followed by

brew install mysql 

solved the problem.