How to Install MariaDB on Debian 12: A Complete Guide

MariaDB is a popular, open-source relational database management system that is widely used as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. It is known for its speed, reliability, and active development community. In this tutorial, we will guide you step-by-step on how to install MariaDB on Debian 12.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• A system running Debian 12 (Bookworm)

• A user account with sudo privileges

• Basic terminal knowledge

Step 1: Update System Packages

Start by updating your system’s package index to ensure all available packages are up to date.

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sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Step 2: Install MariaDB Server

MariaDB is included in the default Debian repositories. You can install it using the following command:

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sudo apt install mariadb-server -y

Step 3: Start and Enable MariaDB Service

Once installed, start the MariaDB service and enable it to automatically start on boot.

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sudo systemctl start mariadb sudo systemctl enable mariadb

You can verify that MariaDB is running by checking its status:

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sudo systemctl status mariadb

Step 4: Secure MariaDB Installation

MariaDB comes with a security script that helps you improve the security of your installation.

Run the following command:

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sudo mysql_secure_installation

The script will prompt you to:

• Set a root password (optional in Debian, as root login via socket is default)

• Remove anonymous users

• Disallow remote root login

• Remove test databases

• Reload privilege tables

For most cases, you can safely answer Y to all prompts to secure your MariaDB installation.

Step 5: Verify MariaDB Installation

Log in to the MariaDB shell to confirm the database server is working properly.

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sudo mariadb

You should see the MariaDB prompt:

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Welcome to the MariaDB monitor. Commands end with ; or \g. MariaDB [(none)]>

Type exit to leave the MariaDB shell.

Step 6: Allow Remote Connections (Optional)

By default, MariaDB only listens on localhost. If you want to allow remote access:

1. Open the MariaDB configuration file: bash CopyEdit sudo nano /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/50-server.cnf

2. Find the line: bash CopyEdit bind-address = 127.0.0.1

3. Change it to: bash CopyEdit bind-address = 0.0.0.0

4. Restart MariaDB: bash CopyEdit sudo systemctl restart mariadb

Note: Ensure your firewall allows connections to MariaDB’s default port (3306).

Step 7: Basic MariaDB Management Commands

Here are some useful MariaDB service management commands:

• Restart MariaDB: bash CopyEdit sudo systemctl restart mariadb

• Stop MariaDB: bash CopyEdit sudo systemctl stop mariadb

• Check MariaDB status: bash CopyEdit sudo systemctl status mariadb