How to Install MariaDB on Debian 12: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

Debian 12 (Bookworm) is now oldstable. Debian’s standard support ended on July 11, 2026, and LTS security support is scheduled through June 30, 2028. This tutorial installs MariaDB from Debian’s own repository; for MariaDB 12.3 from MariaDB’s repository on the current Debian stable release, see our Debian 13 installation guide. See the Debian 12 release information for its current support window.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A Debian 12 system with root or sudo access.
An SSH client to connect to your server.
A stable internet connection.

Step 1: Update Your System

To ensure you have the latest security patches and software, update your Debian 12 system. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This command will refresh your system’s package repository and upgrade installed packages.

Step 2: Install MariaDB

Debian 12 includes MariaDB in its default repositories, making installation straightforward. Use the following command to install MariaDB:

sudo apt install mariadb-server

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

Step 3: Start and Enable MariaDB

After the 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’ as needed.

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:

sudo mysql -u root -p

Enter the root password you set during the installation when prompted.

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 runtime application account with row-level privileges. Use a separate migration account for schema changes; replace myuser and the password placeholder with the intended account name and a unique secret from a password manager:
```
CREATE USER 'myuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'replace-with-a-unique-secret';
GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON mydatabase.* TO 'myuser'@'localhost';
```
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 Debian 12 system, 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 Debian 12.