MariaDB Installation Guide

Simplest method — gets security updates via normal apt upgrade.

# 1. Update system
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

# 2. Install MariaDB server + client
sudo apt install mariadb-server -y

# 3. Check service status
sudo systemctl status mariadb

# Enable on boot (usually already enabled)
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

Use when you need newer features (10.11 is still very reliable for most use cases).

# 1. Install prerequisites
sudo apt update
sudo apt install software-properties-common curl ca-certificates -y

# 2. Add official MariaDB repository
curl -LsS https://r.mariadb.com/downloads/mariadb_repo_setup | sudo bash -s -- --mariadb-server-version="mariadb-11.7"

# Alternative: latest stable series
# curl -LsS https://r.mariadb.com/downloads/mariadb_repo_setup | sudo bash

# 3. Install
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mariadb-server mariadb-client -y

# 4. Verify version
mariadb --version

sudo mariadb-secure-installation

Recommended answers:

Enter current password for root → Press Enter (blank by default)
Switch to unix_socket authentication → Y
Change the root password? → Y (set a strong one)
Remove anonymous users? → Y
Disallow root login remotely? → Y
Remove test database and access to it? → Y
Reload privilege tables now? → Y

Connect to MariaDB:

# Recommended method (unix_socket)
sudo mariadb

# or with password
mariadb -u root -p

Create your first database + user:

CREATE DATABASE myapp;
CREATE USER 'appuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password123';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON myapp.* TO 'appuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;