Mariadb not working even after reinstalling multiple times

Hey there,
I am trying to install MariaDB since few days. but every time, I am getting following errors.

➜ sudo systemctl status mariadb
× mariadb.service - MariaDB 11.4.2 database server
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/mariadb.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Fri 2024-06-28 19:10:51 IST; 29min ago
 Invocation: 5a2bed8e87be494eba4b1aae1913d378
       Docs: man:mariadbd(8)
             https://mariadb.com/kb/en/library/systemd/
    Process: 904 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c systemctl unset-environment _WSREP_START_POSITION (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
    Process: 911 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c [ ! -e /usr/bin/galera_recovery ] && VAR= ||   VAR=`cd /usr/bin/..; /usr/bin/galera_recovery`; [ $? -eq 0 ]   && systemctl set-environment _WSREP_START_POSITION=$VAR || exit 1 (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
    Process: 941 ExecStart=/usr/bin/mariadbd $MYSQLD_OPTS $_WSREP_NEW_CLUSTER $_WSREP_START_POSITION (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
   Main PID: 941 (code=exited, status=1/FAILURE)
     Status: "MariaDB server is down"

Jun 28 19:10:50 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:50 0 [ERROR] Could not open mysql.plugin table: "Table 'mysql.plugin' doesn't exist". Some plugins may be not loaded
Jun 28 19:10:50 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:50 0 [Note] InnoDB: Buffer pool(s) load completed at 240628 19:10:50
Jun 28 19:10:50 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:50 0 [ERROR] Can't open and lock privilege tables: Table 'mysql.servers' doesn't exist
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:51 0 [Note] Server socket created on IP: '0.0.0.0'.
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:51 0 [Note] Server socket created on IP: '::'.
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:51 0 [ERROR] Fatal error: Can't open and lock privilege tables: Table 'mysql.db' doesn't exist
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy mariadbd[941]: 2024-06-28 19:10:51 0 [ERROR] Aborting
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy systemd[1]: mariadb.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=1/FAILURE
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy systemd[1]: mariadb.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Jun 28 19:10:51 mihirvp-81sy systemd[1]: Failed to start MariaDB 11.4.2 database server.

please suggest proper installation method for MariaDB.

here is my garuda-inxi

➜ garuda-inxi
System:
  Kernel: 6.6.35-2-lts arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 14.1.1
    clocksource: tsc avail: acpi_pm
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/@/boot/vmlinuz-linux-lts
    root=UUID=5128666b-c28b-46a6-b67b-b9de240be2eb rw rootflags=subvol=@
    quiet quiet rd.udev.log_priority=3 vt.global_cursor_default=0
    resume=UUID=8cb7d437-97a7-41c8-b51e-43946f9339fe loglevel=3 ibt=off
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 wm: xfwm4 v: 4.18.0
    with: xfce4-panel tools: xfce4-screensaver avail: xautolock vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: Garuda base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 81SY v: Lenovo Legion Y540-15IRH-PG0
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 v: Lenovo Legion
    Y540-15IRH-PG0 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: LNVNB161216 v: SDK0Q55722 WIN
    serial: <superuser required>
    part-nu: LENOVO_MT_81SY_BU_idea_FM_Legion Y540-15IRH-PG0
    uuid: <superuser required> UEFI: LENOVO v: BHCN45WW date: 05/24/2022
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 25.3 Wh (58.0%) condition: 43.6/52.5 Wh (83.1%)
    volts: 11.7 min: 11.2 model: SMP L17M3PG1 type: Li-poly serial: <filter>
    status: not charging cycles: 135
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-9750H bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Coffee Lake
    gen: core 9 level: v3 note: check built: 2018 process: Intel 14nm family: 6
    model-id: 0x9E (158) stepping: 0xA (10) microcode: 0xF6
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 6 tpc: 2 threads: 12 smt: enabled cache:
    L1: 384 KiB desc: d-6x32 KiB; i-6x32 KiB L2: 1.5 MiB desc: 6x256 KiB
    L3: 12 MiB desc: 1x12 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1400 high: 2602 min/max: 800/2600 scaling:
    driver: intel_pstate governor: performance cores: 1: 2599 2: 800 3: 800
    4: 800 5: 800 6: 2600 7: 2602 8: 2600 9: 800 10: 800 11: 800 12: 800
    bogomips: 62431
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities: <filter>
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA TU117M [GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile / Max-Q] vendor: Lenovo
    driver: nvidia v: 550.90.07 alternate: nouveau,nvidia_drm non-free: 550.xx+
    status: current (as of 2024-06; EOL~2026-12-xx) arch: Turing code: TUxxx
    process: TSMC 12nm FF built: 2018-2022 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s
    lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s ports: active: none off: eDP-1
    empty: DP-1,DP-2,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1f91
    class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: Lite-On Integrated Camera driver: uvcvideo type: USB rev: 2.0
    speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 2.0 bus-ID: 1-6:3 chip-ID: 04ca:7070
    class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.13 compositor: xfwm4 v: 4.18.0 driver:
    X: loaded: nvidia unloaded: modesetting alternate: fbdev,nouveau,nv,vesa
    gpu: nvidia,nvidia-nvswitch display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x286mm (20.00x11.26")
    s-diag: 583mm (22.95")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 mapped: DP-4 note: disabled model: BOE Display 0x0700
    built: 2016 res: 1920x1080 hz: 60 dpi: 142 gamma: 1.2
    size: 344x194mm (13.54x7.64") diag: 395mm (15.5") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 1920x1080
  API: Vulkan v: 1.3.279 layers: 3 device: 0 type: discrete-gpu
    name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 driver: nvidia v: 550.90.07
    device-ID: 10de:1f91 surfaces: xcb,xlib
  API: OpenGL Message: Unable to show GL data. glxinfo is missing.
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Lenovo driver: snd_hda_intel
    v: kernel alternate: snd_soc_skl,snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3
    chip-ID: 8086:a348 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: Lenovo driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
    gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s lanes: 16 bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:10fa
    class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.6.35-2-lts status: kernel-api tools: N/A
  Server-1: sndiod v: N/A status: off tools: aucat,midicat,sndioctl
  Server-2: PipeWire v: 1.0.7 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse
    status: active 2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin
    4: pw-jack type: plugin tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel
    bus-ID: 00:14.3 chip-ID: 8086:a370 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8211/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    vendor: Lenovo driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1
    port: 3000 bus-ID: 07:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: enp7s0 state: down mac: <filter>
  Info: services: NetworkManager, smbd, systemd-timesyncd, wpa_supplicant
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth 9460/9560 Jefferson Peak (JfP) driver: btusb
    v: 0.8 type: USB rev: 2.0 speed: 12 Mb/s lanes: 1 mode: 1.1 bus-ID: 1-14:5
    chip-ID: 8087:0aaa class-ID: e001
  Report: btmgmt ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 5.1
    lmp-v: 10 status: discoverable: no pairing: no class-ID: 6c010c
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.16 TiB used: 71.11 GiB (6.0%)
  SMART Message: Required tool smartctl not installed. Check --recommends
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: Intel model: SSDPEKKW010T8L
    size: 953.87 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s
    lanes: 4 tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: L12C temp: 31.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Lexar model: 256GB SSD
    size: 238.47 GiB block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s
    tech: SSD serial: <filter> fw-rev: 610 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 221.09 GiB size: 221.09 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 71.11 GiB (32.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 300 MiB size: 299.4 MiB (99.80%)
    used: 588 KiB (0.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-3: /home raw-size: 221.09 GiB size: 221.09 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 71.11 GiB (32.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
  ID-4: /var/log raw-size: 221.09 GiB size: 221.09 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 71.11 GiB (32.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
  ID-5: /var/tmp raw-size: 221.09 GiB size: 221.09 GiB (100.00%)
    used: 71.11 GiB (32.2%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 133 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default) zswap: no
  ID-1: swap-1 type: zram size: 15.53 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: 100
    comp: zstd avail: lzo,lzo-rle,lz4,lz4hc,842 max-streams: 12 dev: /dev/zram0
  ID-2: swap-2 type: partition size: 17.09 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
    priority: -2 dev: /dev/sda3 maj-min: 8:3
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 41.0 C pch: 53.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia
    temp: 42 C
  Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A
Info:
  Memory: total: 16 GiB available: 15.53 GiB used: 4.16 GiB (26.8%)
  Processes: 330 Power: uptime: 40m states: freeze,mem,disk suspend: deep
    avail: s2idle wakeups: 0 hibernate: platform avail: shutdown, reboot,
    suspend, test_resume image: 6.17 GiB services: thermald, upowerd,
    xfce4-power-manager Init: systemd v: 256 default: graphical
    tool: systemctl
  Packages: pm: pacman pkgs: 1659 libs: 425 tools: octopi,pamac,paru
    Compilers: gcc: 14.1.1 Shell: garuda-inxi default: fish v: 3.7.1
    running-in: xfce4-terminal inxi: 3.3.35
Garuda (2.6.26-1):
  System install date:     2023-09-09
  Last full system update: 2024-06-28
  Is partially upgraded:   No
  Relevant software:       snapper NetworkManager dracut nvidia-dkms
  Windows dual boot:       Probably (Run as root to verify)
  Failed units:            mariadb.service

What part of the installation procedure have you followed?

Have you read that article and the included tips?

5 Likes

Hi.
The issue is most probably you have not followed the 1st step:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/MariaDB#Installation

Especially, the need to run the mariadb-install-db command.

Without doing so and starting the service right away, leads to the exact same error.

3 Likes

Ah this solves the problem.
Thank you!

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