How To Recover Your MySQL root Password
in 6 easy steps:

Step 1: Stop the mysql service
# /etc/init.d/mysql stop
Expected Output:
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld.
Step 2: Start the MySQL server without password
# mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables &
Expected Output:
[1] 5988
Starting mysqld daemon with databases from /var/lib/mysql
mysqld_safe[6025]: started
Step 3: Connect to your MySQL server using the MySQL client
# mysql -u root
Expected Output:
Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is 1 to server version: 4.1.15-Debian_1-log

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.

mysql>
Step 4: Setup a new MySQL password for the root user
mysql> use mysql;
mysql> update user set password=PASSWORD("YOUR-NEW-PASSWORD") where User='root';
mysql> flush privileges;
mysql> quit;
Expected Output:
Database changed

Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)
Rows matched: 1  Changed: 0  Warnings: 0

Query OK, 0 rows affected (0.00 sec)

Bye
Step 5: Stop the MySQL Server
# /etc/init.d/mysql stop
Expected Output:
Stopping MySQL database server: mysqld
STOPPING server from pid file /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.pid
mysqld_safe[6186]: ended

[1]+  Done                    mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables
Step 6: Start the MySQL server and test it
# /etc/init.d/mysql start
# mysql -u root -p
Expected Output:
Starting service MySQL         done

Welcome to the MySQL monitor.  Commands end with ; or \g.
Your MySQL connection id is xx
Server version: x.x.xx XXXXX MySQL RPM

Type 'help;' or '\h' for help. Type '\c' to clear the buffer.

mysql>