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+----- Thread: Guide Install MariaDB in aaPanel Free Edition (/Thread-guide-install-mariadb-in-aapanel-free-edition)
Install MariaDB in aaPanel Free Edition - DEV - 10-10-2026
Install MariaDB in aaPanel Free Edition to provide a database server for applications that support it. Verify the service before creating an application database. A running database server and a database/user created for a website are different steps.
Tested environment
Ubuntu 22.04.5 and aaPanel Free Edition 8.0.6. MariaDB was selected during our first-login stack installation. On 10 October 2026, the server reported MariaDB 10.11.10 and its database service was active. Some panel labels still use “MySQL” because this screen manages the compatible database server.
1. Select MariaDB
On a fresh panel, choose MariaDB in the database selector of the recommended stack dialog. If that dialog has already been dismissed, open App Store, locate the database server and use Install to choose an available MariaDB version. Follow the task until completion. If MariaDB is already installed, proceed to its settings.
Use one database server for this beginner setup. Do not uninstall an existing MySQL/MariaDB instance or replace its data directory to follow a fresh-install tutorial. Changing database engines on a populated server requires a separate backup and migration plan.
2. Verify the running service
Open App Store → Installed → MariaDB → Setting. Our service window is titled MySQL. In the screenshot, 1 marks the running state, 2 the service controls and 3 the Error log.
Use SSH to confirm the binary version and service status:
Code:
/www/server/mysql/bin/mysql --version
/etc/init.d/mysqld status3. Prepare for your application
Open Databases in aaPanel. Create a separate database and user for each application when you deploy it, and keep that user's permissions limited to its own database. Store the credentials privately in the application's configuration. Panel login credentials are not database credentials.
For a website on the same server, keep database access local. Opening port 3306 to the entire internet is unnecessary. Our lab firewall does not allow public access to that port.
Troubleshooting
If the service will not start, read the Error log and check available disk space. For an application's “access denied” error, check its database name, user, password and host. Do not reset the database root password or reinstall the server as the first response.
Install aaPanel Free Edition on Ubuntu 22.04
Web stack setup and tutorial series
Secure aaPanel Free Edition
Official aaPanel App Store documentation