zabbix mysql template using the incorrect database user

[extremeeryan]

I'm trying to set up mysql monitoring with this template: https://www.zabbix.com/integrations/mysql. We use zabbix server version 5.0.

I followed all of the instructions and placed the userparameter file in /etc/zabbix/zabbix_agentd.d on the host we're attempting to monitor. I also have the following at /var/lib/zabbix/.my.cnf:

[client] user=zbx_monitor
password=<password>

Previously, the zabbix user had /nonexistent set as its home directory. I created /var/lib/zabbix and set that to be the home directory:

# cat /etc/passwd | grep zabbix
zabbix:x:112:120::/var/lib/zabbix:/bin/false

# ls -la /var/lib/zabbix/
total 12
drwxrwx--- 2 zabbix zabbix 4096 Nov 6 14:48 .
drwxr-xr-x 46 root root 4096 Dec 27 2019 ..
-rw-r--r-- 1 zabbix root 91 Nov 6 13:37 .my.cnf

When I try to retrieve items from the zabbix server, however, it's still trying to access the database with the "zabbix" user instead of "zbx_monitor":

# zabbix_get -s host -k mysql.ping["host","3306"]
mysqladmin: connect to server at 'host' failed
error: 'Access denied for user 'zabbix'@'localhost' (using password: NO)'

I have restarted the agent multiple times. For reference, here is the complete userparameter file obtained from https://git.zabbix.com/projects/ZBX/...b/mysql_agent:

#template_db_mysql.conf created by Zabbix for "Template DB MySQL" and Zabbix 4.2
#For OS Linux: You need create .my.cnf in zabbix-agent home directory (/var/lib/zabbix by default)
#For OS Windows: You need add PATH to mysql and mysqladmin and create my.cnf in %WINDIR%\my.cnf,C:\my.cnf,BASEDIR\my.cnf https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.7/en/option-files.html
#The file must have three strings:
#[client] #user='zbx_monitor'
#password='<password>'
#
UserParameter=mysql.ping[*], mysqladmin -h"$1" -P"$2" ping
UserParameter=mysql.get_status_variables[*], mysql -h"$1" -P"$2" -sNX -e "show global status"
UserParameter=mysql.version[*], mysqladmin -s -h"$1" -P"$2" version
UserParameter=mysql.db.discovery[*], mysql -h"$1" -P"$2" -sN -e "show databases"
UserParameter=mysql.dbsize[*], mysql -h"$1" -P"$2" -sN -e "SELECT COALESCE(SUM(DATA_LENGTH + INDEX_LENGTH),0) FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA='$3'"
UserParameter=mysql.replication.discovery[*], mysql -h"$1" -P"$2" -sNX -e "show slave status"
UserParameter=mysql.slave_status[*], mysql -h"$1" -P"$2" -sNX -e "show slave status"

It appears that Zabbix is not picking up /var/lib/zabbix/.my.cnf. Is there something obvious that I'm missing?

Thanks,

Emmet

[troffasky]

In your .my.cnf try putting user= on its own line.
You can also override HOME, eg:
UserParameter=mysql.status[*],echo "show global status where Variable_name='$1';" | HOME=/var/lib/zabbix mysql -N | awk '{print $$2}'