How Do I Change The Default Character Set in MySQL/MariaDB to utf8?

Introduction

How do I change the default Character set within MySQL/MariaDB to utf8? 

Procedure

In order to set change the default character set within MySQL/MariaDB follow the steps below: 

1. Open the MySQL configuration file at /etc/my.cnf:

   vi /etc/my.cnf

2. Under the [client] section, add the following entry: 
   

   default-character-set=utf8

   Note: If the [client] section does not exist, add it to the top of the configuration file.
3. Under [mysqld] add (please note this is [mysqld] not [mysql]): 
   

   default-character-set=utf8
   init_connect='SET NAMES utf8'

4. Once complete, you'll need to issue a restart to the MySQL server: 
   

   /scripts/restartsrv_mysql

If you would like to validate that the changes have been applied, you may pass the following command via MySQL CLI: 

show variables like 'char%';

Please note that existing databases are not affected unless you alter their character sets. You can review MySQL documentation on this topic for more information on how this works:

• MySQL :: MySQL 5.6 Reference Manual :: 10.5 Character Set Configuration
• MySQL :: MySQL 5.6 Reference Manual :: 10.1.3.3 Database Character Set and Collation

MariaDB also provides a useful document on setting the character set for your databases:

Setting Character Sets and Collations