MariaDB Community Server vs Enterprise Server: Which One to Choose?

MariaDB Free Download: What You Need to Know

If you are looking for a free, open source, reliable and fast relational database management system (RDBMS), you might want to consider MariaDB. MariaDB is a fork of MySQL, one of the most popular databases in the world. It was created by some of the original developers of MySQL who wanted to preserve its open source nature and community spirit after MySQL was acquired by Oracle.

MariaDB is designed to be a drop-in replacement for MySQL, meaning that it is fully compatible with MySQL data files, APIs, protocols, libraries and commands. However, it also offers some advantages over MySQL in terms of features, performance, compatibility, security and community. In this article, we will compare and contrast MariaDB and MySQL, show you how to download and install MariaDB on different operating systems, and give you some tips on how to configure and use MariaDB after installation.

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MariaDB vs MySQL: Key Differences and Similarities

MariaDB and MySQL are both open source RDBMS that use SQL as their query language. They both support various storage engines, data types, functions, operators, indexes, triggers, views, stored procedures and other database objects. They both can be used for web development, data warehousing, analytics, business intelligence and other applications.

However, there are also some key differences between them that you should be aware of before choosing one over the other. Here are some of the main aspects where they differ:

Features

MariaDB has more features than MySQL in terms of storage engines, data types, functions and extensions. For example:

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• MariaDB supports 12 new storage engines such as Aria , ColumnStore, Spider, Cassandra, Connect and Sequence

• MariaDB supports new data types such as dynamic columns, JSON, GIS and IPv6

• MariaDB supports new functions such as window functions, common table expressions, recursive queries, roles, virtual columns and system versioned tables

• MariaDB supports Oracle compatibility mode, which allows it to run Oracle PL/SQL code and use Oracle data types and syntax

MySQL, on the other hand, has some features that MariaDB does not have (yet), such as:

• MySQL supports the X DevAPI, which is a modern and easy-to-use API for working with JSON documents and relational data

• MySQL supports the InnoDB Cluster, which is a high availability solution that provides automatic failover, self-healing and scaling capabilities

• MySQL supports the MySQL Shell, which is an interactive and scriptable command-line interface that supports multiple languages and formats

• MySQL supports the MySQL Router, which is a lightweight middleware that provides transparent routing between applications and back-end MySQL servers

Performance

MariaDB claims to be faster and more scalable than MySQL in various scenarios. For example:

• MariaDB has a better query optimizer that can handle complex queries more efficiently

• MariaDB has a faster replication system that can handle more concurrent transactions and reduce slave lag

• MariaDB has a more advanced thread pool that can handle more concurrent connections and reduce contention

• MariaDB has a more flexible caching system that can improve the performance of read-intensive workloads

However, performance is not a static or absolute measure. It depends on many factors such as hardware, configuration, workload, benchmark and version. Therefore, it is always advisable to test both MariaDB and MySQL in your own environment and with your own data before making a decision.

Compatibility

MariaDB is designed to be 100% compatible with MySQL 5.7 and earlier versions. This means that you can switch from MySQL to MariaDB without any changes to your data files, applications or tools. MariaDB also supports most of the features introduced in MySQL 8.0, such as window functions, common table expressions, roles and invisible indexes. However, there are some minor migration requirements for some of the new features in MySQL 8.0, such as:

• The default authentication plugin in MySQL 8.0 is caching_sha2_password, while in MariaDB it is mysql_native_password. You may need to change the authentication plugin or use the old_passwords option to make them compatible

• The default character set and collation in MySQL 8.0 are utf8mb4 and utf8mb4_0900_ai_ci, while in MariaDB they are utf8mb4 and utf8mb4_general_ci. You may need to change the character set or collation or use the skip-character-set-client-handshake option to make them compatible

• The default SQL mode in MySQL 8.0 is stricter than in MariaDB. It includes the modes ONLY_FULL_GROUP_BY, STRICT_TRANS_TABLES, NO_ZERO_IN_DATE, NO_ZERO_DATE, ERROR_FOR_DIVISION_BY_ZERO, NO_ENGINE_SUBSTITUTION and NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER. You may need to change the SQL mode or use the ignore_db_dirs option to make them compatible

Security

MariaDB offers some security enhancements over MySQL that can help you protect your data and prevent unauthorized access. For example:

• MariaDB enables encryption by default for all connections, tables and logs. It also supports encryption key management using plugins or external services

• MariaDB provides a database firewall that can block or log SQL statements based on rules or patterns. It can also prevent SQL injection attacks by detecting malicious queries

• MariaDB includes an audit plugin that can record all the activities on the server such as connections, queries, errors and warnings. It can also filter the audit events based on users, hosts or commands

Community

MariaDB has a more vibrant and active open source community than MySQL. It has more contributors, more commits, more releases and more forks than MySQL on GitHub. It also has more mailing lists, forums, blogs and events than MySQL on its official website. MariaDB benefits from the shared innovation and collaboration of the open source community, which allows it to incorporate new features and fixes faster than MySQL.

How to Download and Install MariaDB on Different Operating Systems

Now that you have learned some of the differences and similarities between MariaDB and MySQL, you might be interested in trying out MariaDB yourself. The good news is that downloading and installing MariaDB is very easy and straightforward. You can download the latest stable version of MariaDB from the official website:

There are different installation packages available for different operating systems, such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS. Here are the steps to download and install MariaDB on each of them:

Windows

If you are using Windows, you can download the MSI installer from the official website. The MSI installer is a graphical user interface (GUI) that guides you through the installation process. Here are the steps to follow:

• Download the MSI installer from the official website. Choose the version that matches your Windows architecture (32-bit or 64-bit)

• Run the MSI installer by double-clicking on it or right-clicking and choosing "Run as administrator"

• Follow the instructions on the screen. You can choose the installation type (typical, custom or complete), the installation directory, the root password, the service name and other options

• Click "Install" to start the installation. Wait for it to finish and click "Finish" to exit the installer

• Verify that MariaDB is installed and running by opening a command prompt and typing "mysql -u root -p". Enter the root password that you set during the installation and you should see the MariaDB welcome message

Linux

If you are using Linux, you can use the package manager of your Linux distribution to install MariaDB. Most Linux distributions have MariaDB in their official repositories, so you can simply use commands like "apt-get", "yum", "dnf" or "zypper" to install it. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use this command:

sudo apt-get install mariadb-server

Alternatively, you can use the repository configuration tool from the official website to add the MariaDB repository to your system and install it from there. This way, you can get the latest version of MariaDB and receive updates more frequently. Here are the steps to follow:

• Go to and select your Linux distribution, version, release and mirror

• Copy the commands that are generated for you and paste them in a terminal window. This will add the MariaDB repository to your system

• Update your package manager by using a command like "sudo apt-get update" or "sudo yum update"

• Install MariaDB by using a command like "sudo apt-get install mariadb-server" or "sudo yum install mariadb-server"

• Verify that MariaDB is installed and running by opening a terminal window and typing "mysql -u root -p". Enter the root password that you set during the installation and you should see the MariaDB welcome message

Mac OS

If you are using Mac OS, you can download the DMG installer from the official website. The DMG installer is a disk image file that contains an application bundle that you can drag and drop to your Applications folder. Here are the steps to follow:

• Download the DMG installer from the official website. Choose the version that matches your Mac OS architecture (Intel or ARM)

• Open the DMG file by double-clicking on it or right-clicking and choosing "Open"

• Drag and drop the MariaDB icon to your Applications folder

• Open your Applications folder and double-click on the MariaDB icon to launch it

• Verify that MariaDB is installed and running by opening a terminal window and typing "/usr/local/mariadb/server/bin/mysql -u root -p". Enter the root password that you set during the installation and you should see the MariaDB welcome message

How to Configure and Use MariaDB After Installation

After you have installed MariaDB on your system, you might want to do some configuration and usage tasks to make it more secure and functional. Here are some tips and best practices on how to configure and use MariaDB after installation:

Configuration

One of the first things you should do after installing MariaDB is to run the mysql_secure_installation script. This script will help you set up a root password, remove anonymous users, disable remote root login, remove test databases and reload the privilege tables. To run the script, open a terminal window and type:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts on the screen and answer the questions accordingly. You can also customize other configuration options by editing the my.cnf file, which is located in /etc/mysql/ on Linux or /usr/local/mariadb/server/etc/ on Mac OS. For example, you can change the port number, the data directory, the log file, the max connections, the innodb buffer pool size and other parameters.

Usage

To use MariaDB, you need to connect to it using a client program or tool. One of the most common and basic tools is the mysql client, which is a command-line interface that allows you to execute SQL commands interactively or from a file. To use the mysql client, open a terminal window and type:

mysql -u username -p

Replace username with your MariaDB user name and enter your password when prompted. You should see a prompt like this:

MariaDB [(none)]>

From here, you can type any SQL command that you want to execute. For example, you can create a database, create a table, insert some data, select some data, update some data, delete some data and so on. To exit the mysql client, type:

exit

Besides the mysql client, there are many other tools that you can use to connect to and work with MariaDB. Some of them are graphical user interfaces (GUI) that provide a more user-friendly and intuitive way of managing your databases. Some examples are phpMyAdmin, HeidiSQL, DBeaver, MySQL Workbench and Navicat.

Conclusion

In this article, we have covered the topic of MariaDB free download. We have compared and contrasted MariaDB and MySQL in terms of features, performance, compatibility, security and community. We have also shown you how to download and install MariaDB on different operating systems and how to configure and use MariaDB after installation.

MariaDB is a great choice for anyone who wants a free, open source, reliable and fast RDBMS that is compatible with MySQL but also offers some advantages over it. If you want to learn more about MariaDB, you can visit its official website: or its documentation page:

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about MariaDB free download:

Q: Is MariaDB better than MySQL?

A: It depends on your needs and preferences. MariaDB has more features, better performance, more security enhancements and a more active community than MySQL. However, MySQL has some features that MariaDB does not have (yet), such as the X DevAPI, the InnoDB Cluster, the MySQL Shell and the MySQL Router. You should test both of them in your own environment and with your own data before making a decision.

Q: Is MariaDB free for commercial use?

A: Yes, MariaDB is free for commercial use. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 or later, which means that you can use it for any purpose without paying any fees or royalties. However, you must also comply with the terms of the GPL license, which include sharing your source code if you modify or distribute MariaDB.

Q: How do I update MariaDB to the latest version?

A: If you have installed MariaDB from your Linux distribution's official repository, you can update it using your package manager's update command. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use this command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade

If you have installed MariaDB from its own repository or from a DMG installer on Mac OS , you can update it by downloading the latest version from the official website and running the installer again. You can also use the mariadb-upgrade command to check and upgrade your databases after updating MariaDB.

Q: How do I uninstall MariaDB from my system?

A: If you want to uninstall MariaDB from your system, you can use the same method that you used to install it. For example, if you used the MSI installer on Windows, you can use the Windows Control Panel to uninstall it. If you used the package manager on Linux, you can use the remove or purge command to uninstall it. For example, on Ubuntu or Debian, you can use this command:

sudo apt-get remove --purge mariadb-server

If you used the DMG installer on Mac OS, you can delete the MariaDB application bundle from your Applications folder and remove any leftover files or folders from your system.

Q: Where can I get help or support for MariaDB?

A: If you need help or support for MariaDB, you can visit its official website and find various resources such as documentation, knowledge base, blog, forum, mailing list and chat. You can also join the MariaDB community and ask questions, share ideas, report bugs or contribute code. You can also contact the MariaDB Foundation or the MariaDB Corporation for professional services or commercial support. 44f88ac181