Default: MariaDB 10.6 (10.4 on CentOS 7 (EOL) for 132/140 branches)
Installed via YUM repository. Defaults vary by OS: MariaDB 10.4 (CentOS 7 (EOL) on 132/140), 10.6 (EL8/EL9 all branches, CentOS 7 (EOL) on 141), 10.11 (EL10 on 141 only). Upgradeable via Menu 11.
MariaDB Versions
Centmin Mod installs MariaDB from the official MariaDB YUM repository. You can upgrade to newer versions using Menu 11.
| Menu Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Menu 6 | MySQL User Database Management — create/manage users, databases, and permissions |
| Menu 11 | MariaDB MySQL Upgrade & Management — upgrade to newer versions, manage server |
User & Database Management (Menu 6)
Menu option 6 provides an interactive interface for managing MySQL users and databases. The mysqladmin_shell.sh addon also offers a command-line tool for these tasks.
# Run centmin.sh and select option 6 for user/DB management
centmin.sh
# Or use the mysqladmin shell tool directly
/usr/local/src/centminmod/addons/mysqladmin_shell.sh
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MySQL User Database Management Sub Menu
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Command Line Version community.centminmod.com/threads/543/
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1). Create MySQL User and Database
2). Add Database to Existing MySQL User
3). Add Existing Database to Existing MySQL User
4). Add Existing Database to New MySQL User
5). Change MySQL User Password
6). Delete MySQL User
7). Show Grants for MySQL User
8). Create Global MySQL User (access to all databases)
9). Create Multiple MySQL Databases and Users from File
10). Delete MySQL Database
11). List All MySQL Databases and Users
12). Return to Main Menu
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Enter option [ 1 - 12 ]:
MariaDB Upgrade & Management (Menu 11)
Menu option 11 provides an interactive interface for upgrading MariaDB to newer versions and managing the MariaDB server. It supports step-by-step upgrades across all major MariaDB branches, from legacy 5.x through the latest 12.x LTS releases.
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MariaDB MySQL Upgrade & Management Sub-Menu
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0). Regenerate New MySQL Root User Password (local server)
1). MariaDB 5.2.x Branch Upgrade Only
2). MariaDB 5.2.x to MariaDB 5.5 YUM upgrade
3). MariaDB 5.5 to MariaDB 10.x YUM upgrade
4). MariaDB 5.5 to MariaDB 10.1.x YUM upgrade
5). MariaDB 10.x to MariaDB 10.1.x YUM upgrade
6). MariaDB 10.1.x to MariaDB 10.2.x YUM upgrade
7). MariaDB 10.2.x to MariaDB 10.3.x YUM upgrade
8). MariaDB 10.3.x to MariaDB 10.4.x YUM upgrade
9). MariaDB 10.4.x to MariaDB 10.5.x YUM upgrade
10). MariaDB 10.5.x to MariaDB 10.6.x LTS YUM upgrade
11). MariaDB 10.6.x to MariaDB 10.11.x LTS YUM upgrade
12). MariaDB 10.6.x to MariaDB 11.4.x LTS YUM upgrade
13). MariaDB 10.6.x to MariaDB 11.8.x LTS YUM upgrade
14). MariaDB 10.11.x to MariaDB 11.4.x LTS YUM upgrade
15). MariaDB 10.11.x to MariaDB 11.8.x LTS YUM upgrade
16). MariaDB 11.4.x to MariaDB 11.8.x LTS YUM upgrade
17). MariaDB 10.11.x to MariaDB 12.3.x LTS YUM upgrade
18). MariaDB 11.4.x to MariaDB 12.3.x LTS YUM upgrade
19). MariaDB 11.8.x to MariaDB 12.3.x LTS YUM upgrade
20). Back to Main menu
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Enter option [ 0 - 20 ]
Character Set & Collation
MariaDB defaults to the latin1 character set. For full Unicode support (including emojis), switch to utf8mb4.
[mysqld]
character-set-server = utf8mb4
collation-server = utf8mb4_unicode_ci
[client]
default-character-set = utf8mb4
Important
Changing the character set on existing databases requires converting existing tables. Back up your database first and use ALTER TABLE to convert each table individually.
InnoDB Tuning
Key InnoDB settings to tune in /etc/my.cnf:
| Setting | Recommendation | Description |
|---|---|---|
| innodb_buffer_pool_size | 50–70% of RAM | Main memory cache for data and indexes |
| innodb_log_file_size | 256M–1G | Redo log file size (larger = fewer checkpoints) |
| innodb_flush_method | O_DIRECT | Avoid OS double-buffering |
| innodb_io_capacity | 2000+ for SSD | I/O operations per second limit |
| innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit | 2 | Flush to OS buffer each commit (balanced performance/safety) |
Backup Options
Centmin Mod supports multiple backup methods:
mysqldump
Logical backup tool. Good for small-to-medium databases. Creates SQL dump files that are portable between MariaDB versions.
MariaBackup
Physical hot backup tool (fork of Percona XtraBackup). Best for large databases — non-blocking, supports incremental backups, and is significantly faster than mysqldump.
Menu 21 — Data Management
Centmin Mod’s comprehensive backup system combining MariaBackup and mysqldump with S3 uploads, SSH tunnel transfers, and automated scheduling. See the Data Management page for details.
Key Configuration Files
| Path | Description |
|---|---|
| /etc/my.cnf | Main MariaDB configuration |
| /var/lib/mysql/ | Database data directory |
| /var/log/mysqld.log | MariaDB error/general log |
| /etc/centminmod/custom_config.inc | Centmin Mod MariaDB version settings |
Need help?
Join the community forums for MariaDB configuration and optimization tips.