How to Install MariaDB on CentOS 8: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

MariaDB is an open-source, community-developed relational database management system that’s a fork of MySQL. It is known for its speed, reliability, and ease of use, making it a popular choice for web applications and other projects. If you’re running CentOS 8 and want to set up MariaDB, this step-by-step tutorial will guide you through the installation process.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

A CentOS 8 server with root or sudo access.
An SSH client to connect to your server.
An active internet connection.

Step 1: Update Your System

Start by updating your CentOS system to ensure you have the latest security patches and software. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo dnf update

This command will update your system’s package repository.

Step 2: Install MariaDB

In CentOS 8, the default repository includes MariaDB, so you can install it easily using the following command:

sudo dnf install mariadb-server mariadb-client

During the installation, you’ll be prompted to confirm the package installation. Type ‘y’ and press Enter.

Step 3: Start and Enable MariaDB

After installation, start the MariaDB service and enable it to start at boot using the following commands:

sudo systemctl start mariadb
sudo systemctl enable mariadb

You can verify that MariaDB is running with this command:

sudo systemctl status mariadb

Step 4: Secure Your MariaDB Installation

MariaDB comes with a script that helps you secure your database installation. Run the following command:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

You’ll be prompted to set a root password, remove anonymous users, disallow root login remotely, and remove the test database. Follow the prompts and answer ‘Y’ or ‘N’ accordingly.

Step 5: Log In to MariaDB

Now that your MariaDB installation is secure, you can log in to the database server using the following command:

mysql -u root -p

You’ll be prompted to enter the root password you set during the installation.

Step 6: Create a New Database and User

To create a new database and user, follow these steps:

Log in to MariaDB as the root user.
Create a new database (replace mydatabase with your preferred name):
```
CREATE DATABASE mydatabase;
```

Create a new user and grant privileges (replace myuser and mypassword with your desired username and password):

CREATE USER 'myuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'mypassword';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON mydatabase.* TO 'myuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Exit the MariaDB prompt:
```
exit;
```

Step 7: Test Your MariaDB Installation

You can test your new database and user by logging in with the created credentials:

mysql -u myuser -p

Enter the password when prompted, and you should now have access to the database you created.

Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed MariaDB on your CentOS 8 server, secured the installation, and created a new database and user. MariaDB is a powerful and reliable database system that can serve as the foundation for various web applications and services. You are now ready to build and manage your databases with MariaDB on CentOS 8.