mariadb-install-db1

Initialize mariadb data directory (mariadb-install-db is now a symlink to mariadb-install-db)

Usage

mariadb-install-db [options]

Overview

mariadb-install-db initializes the MariaDB data directory and creates the system tables that it contains, if they do not exist.

To invoke mariadb-install-db, use the following syntax:

shell> mariadb-install-db [options]

Because the MariaDB server, mariadbd, needs to access the data directory when it runs later, you should either run mariadb-install-db from the same account that will be used for running mariadbd or run it as root and use the --user option to indicate the user name that mariadbd will run as. It might be necessary to specify other options such as --basedir or --datadir if mariadb-install-db does not use the correct locations for the installation directory or data directory. For example:

shell> bin/mariadb-install-db --user=mysql \
         --basedir=/opt/mysql/mysql \
         --datadir=/opt/mysql/mysql/data

mariadb-install-db needs to invoke mariadbd with the --bootstrap and --skip-grant-tables options (see Section 2.3.2, “Typical configure Options”). If MariaDB was configured with the --disable-grant-options option, --bootstrap and --skip-grant-tables will be disabled. To handle this, set the mariadbd_BOOTSTRAP environment variable to the full path name of a server that has all options enabled. mariadb-install-db will use that server.

mariadb-install-db supports the following options, which can be specified on the command line or in the [mariadb-install-db] and (if they are common to mariadbd) [mariadbd] option file groups.

• --basedir=path

The path to the MariaDB installation directory.

• --builddir=path

If using --srcdir with out-of-directory builds, you will need to set this to the location of the build directory where built files reside..

• --cross-bootstrap

For internal use. Used when building the MariaDB system tables on a different host than the target..

• --datadir=path, --ldata=path

The path to the MariaDB data directory.

• --defaults-extra-file=filename

Set filename as the file to read default options from after the global defaults files has been read. Must be given as first option.

• --defaults-file=filename

Set filename as the file to read default options from, override global defaults files. Must be given as first option.

• --defaults-group-suffix=name

In addition to the given groups, also read groups with this suffix.

• --force

Cause mariadb-install-db to run even if DNS does not work. In that case, grant table entries that normally use host names will use IP addresses.

• --help

Display a help message and exit.

• --no-defaults

Do not read default options from any option file. This must be given as the first argument.

• --print-defaults

Print the program argument list and exit. This must be given as the first argument.

• --rpm

For internal use. This option is used by RPM files during the MariaDB installation process.

• --skip-name-resolve

Use IP addresses rather than host names when creating grant table entries. This option can be useful if your DNS does not work.

• --srcdir=path

For internal use. The directory under which mariadb-install-db looks for support files such as the error message file and the file for populating the help tables.4.

• --user=user_name

The login user name to use for running mariadbd. Files and directories created by mariadbd will be owned by this user. You must be root to use this option. By default, mariadbd runs using your current login name and files and directories that it creates will be owned by you.

• --extra-file=file_path

Add user defined SQL file, to be executed following regular database initialization.

• --verbose

Verbose mode. Print more information about what the program does.

• --windows

For internal use. This option is used for creating Windows distributions.

History

Arch Linux 2026-11-01 to Debian 13 (Trixie): the text shown here
Debian 12 (Bookworm)
Debian 11 (Bullseye)