brew / rank 751

Install mariadb with Homebrew, apk, chocolatey, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper, apt, scoop, winget

Drop-in replacement for MySQL. Version 12.3.2 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-31. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libmariadb-dev.

Install command Security notes

agent safety

Agent safety answer

mariadb provides database server and client tooling with data mutation authority.

Credential access

Reads database passwords, option files, socket config, and environment credentials.

Remote mutation

Can alter schemas, users, and data on reachable database servers.

Publish/artifact risk

Can export or import data artifacts containing sensitive records.

Recommended control

Gate destructive SQL, dumps, imports, and credential file reads.

Agent-use guidance

Allow safe schema reads; require approval for writes, exports, and credential access.

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install mariadb

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install mariadb

MacPorts ports tree · databases/mariadb/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add mariadb

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · mariadb · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%

sudo dnf install mariadb

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · mariadb · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#mariadb

nixpkgs package indexes · mariadb · source: raw.githubusercontent.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%

sudo pacman -S mariadb

Arch Linux sync databases · mariadb · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install mariadb

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · mariadb · source: download.opensuse.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install libmariadb-dev

Debian stable package indexes · libmariadb-dev · source: deb.debian.org

Windows

Chocolateyverified · 92%

choco install mariadb

Chocolatey community package catalog · mariadb · source: community.chocolatey.org

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/mariadb

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/mariadb.json · source: api.github.com

Windows Package Managerverified · 92%

winget install --id MariaDB.Server -e

Windows Package Manager source index · MariaDB.Server · source: cdn.winget.microsoft.com

overview

Package summary

Drop-in replacement for MySQL

Project links

Homepage

Commands and aliases

aria_chk
aria_dump_log
aria_ftdump
aria_pack
aria_read_log
galera_new_cluster
mariabackup
mariadb
mariadb-access
mariadb-admin
mariadb-backup
mariadb-binlog
mariadb-check
mariadb-client-test
mariadb-config
mariadb-conv
mariadb-convert-table-format
mariadb-dump
mariadb-dumpslow
mariadb-find-rows
mariadb-fix-extensions
mariadb-hotcopy
mariadb-import
mariadb-install-db
mariadb-ldb
mariadb-migrate-config-file
mariadb-plugin
mariadb-secure-installation
mariadb-setpermission
mariadb-show
mariadb-slap
mariadb-test

history

Project history and usage

MariaDB is a community-developed, MySQL-compatible relational database server made by original MySQL developers and maintained as open source infrastructure. In package managers it is the familiar mysql-compatible server package used for local development, CI, self-hosted applications, and production deployments.

Project history

MariaDB began in 2009 as a community fork of MySQL after concerns about Oracle's acquisition of MySQL through Sun. MariaDB Foundation material says the first release, MariaDB 5.1.38, shipped on 29 October 2009 with speed improvements, an enhanced thread pool, and storage-engine work such as XtraDB and Aria.

The project positioned itself as a backward-compatible, drop-in replacement for MySQL while continuing independent development. MariaDB's public documentation describes the source as hosted on GitHub, and Foundation material emphasizes open development, public issue tracking, and community contribution.

Over time MariaDB moved from being a MySQL fork to a database line with its own release cadence, storage-engine choices, replication features, backup tooling, Galera packaging, and long-term-support policy. The server remains important because it preserves much of the operational and client-tool culture that grew around MySQL.

Adoption history

MariaDB adoption was helped by distribution packaging. MariaDB's download page calls it one of the world's most popular open source relational databases and notes that it is available in the standard repositories of major Linux distributions. The Foundation homepage also describes MariaDB as part of most cloud offerings and the default in many Linux distributions.

Distribution choices reinforced the package-manager story. MariaDB's Debian 10 announcement says Debian shipped MariaDB 10.3 and that installing mysql-server on that release resolved to MariaDB instead, continuing a pattern where users received MariaDB through ordinary operating-system package workflows.

MariaDB is also common in container and service environments. A MariaDB Foundation engineering post described the server as foundational software and cited Docker Hub scale as a reason for strict testing across many architectures and configurations.

How it is used

Package users install MariaDB when they need a local or managed SQL server compatible with MySQL clients and protocols. The Homebrew formula exposes server and administrative tools such as mariadbd, mariadb, mariadb-admin, mariadb-dump, mariadb-upgrade, mariabackup, and Galera-related scripts.

Configuration is centered on my.cnf or my.ini option files. MariaDB's official docs explain the default option-file hierarchy across Unix-like systems and Windows, and client tools can also use option files to avoid putting passwords on command lines.

For package-manager users, the important operational detail is that a database package has state: upgrading the formula can also mean upgrading server binaries, data directories, plugins, dump compatibility, and client tools. MariaDB's release notes and LTS policy therefore matter more than the version number alone.

Why package nerds care

MariaDB is a package-nerd staple because it is both a server and a compatibility surface. It provides MySQL-flavored command names, client libraries, development headers, storage engines, and service-management behavior that many packages and test suites assume exist.

The unversioned Homebrew mariadb formula tracks the current packaged MariaDB line and is the right choice for users who want the maintained default rather than a pinned compatibility branch. People running production-like local data often prefer versioned formulae when they need a specific LTS line.

Timeline

2009: MariaDB began as a community fork of MySQL.
2009: MariaDB 5.1.38 was released on 29 October 2009.
2012: MariaDB Foundation was created to support open development of MariaDB Server.
2019: Debian 10 shipped MariaDB 10.3 as its MySQL-compatible server path.
2024: MariaDB 11.4 was made a long-term-support release with a locked feature set.
2025: MariaDB 11.8 was released as the yearly LTS release for 2025.
2026: MariaDB Foundation listed multiple maintained long-term release lines, including 10.6, 10.11, 11.4, 11.8, and 12.3.

Related projects

MySQL is the original upstream project and compatibility target.
MariaDB Connector/C provides the C client library used by many client packages.
Galera Cluster is commonly packaged with MariaDB for synchronous multi-primary clustering.
MariaDB Backup and the mariadb command-line clients are part of the surrounding operational toolchain.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: orange

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. formula declares a Homebrew service.

Risk classifier

orange risk · medium confidence · infrastructure

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
formula declares a Homebrew service
generalized runtime or code generation signal
infrastructure mutation or orchestration signal

Signals

metadata:service
text:cluster
text:repl
text:sync,backup,sql,stream,client

Install behavior

No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: ~/.my.cnf

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: ~/.my.cnf

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`aria_chk`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`aria_dump_log`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`aria_ftdump`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`aria_pack`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`aria_read_log`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`galera_new_cluster`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariabackup`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-access`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-admin`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-backup`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-binlog`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-check`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-client-test`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-config`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-conv`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-convert-table-format`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-dump`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-dumpslow`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-find-rows`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-fix-extensions`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-hotcopy`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-import`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-install-db`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-ldb`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-migrate-config-file`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-plugin`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-secure-installation`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-setpermission`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-show`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-slap`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-test`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-tzinfo-to-sql`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-upgrade`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb-waitpid`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadb_config`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadbd`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadbd-multi`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadbd-safe`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mariadbd-safe-helper`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mbstream`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`msql2mysql`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`myrocks_hotbackup`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_convert_table_format`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_find_rows`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_fix_extensions`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_install_db`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_ldb`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_plugin`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_setpermission`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_upgrade`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysql_waitpid`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysqlaccess`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysqld_safe_helper`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mysqlhotcopy`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`mytop`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`rcmysql`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`replace`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`resolve_stack_dump`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`resolveip`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`sst_dump`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`wsrep_sst_backup`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`wsrep_sst_mariabackup`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`wsrep_sst_mysqldump`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`wsrep_sst_rsync`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.
`wsrep_sst_rsync_wan`	executable	indexed executable	Discovered from the local executable index.

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-08-03

manager version12.3.2

manager updated2026-07-31

local dataunknown

upstreamnot available

latest detectednot detected

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:mariadb
Version	12.3.2
Package manager	Homebrew
Homepage	https://mariadb.org/
Last updated	2026-07-31T08:47:02+01:00
Pulse	updated
Bottle	not recorded
Service	none declared

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

libmariadb-dev 1:11.8.6-0+deb13u1

MariaDB database development files