How to Replace MariaDB with MySQL in XAMPP?

Last Updated on August 24, 2023

New XAMPP comes with MariaDB in place of MySQL. However, if you prefer MySQL over MariaDB, I will show you how to replace MariaDB with MySQL in XAMPP.

Please follow these instructions to change MariaDB to MySQL in XAMPP:

Note: This method has been tested for Windows 10 and 11.

Backup SQL & Stop MariaDB

• Backup your old database into an SQL dump file.

mariadb-dump -u admin_backup -p -x -A > /data/backup/dbs.sql

• Stop the MariaDB service.

Download & Install MySQL

• Rename the folder c:\xampp\mysql to c:\xampp\mariadb.
• Download MySQL Community Server.

• Create a new and empty folder: c:\xampp\mysql.
• Extract the downloaded ZIP file into c:\xampp\mysql.
• Create a new and empty folder: c:\xampp\mysql\data.
• Create a new file: c:\xampp\mysql\bin\my.ini and add the following content:

[mysqld]
# set basedir to your installation path
basedir=c:/xampp/mysql
# set datadir to the location of your data directory
datadir=c:/xampp/mysql/data

Initialize MySQL

• Initialize a MySQL installation and enter the following code:

cd c:\xampp\mysql\bin
mysqld --initialize
mysqld --initialize-insecure

Find Root Password

MySQL server creates a ‘root’@localhost’ and a random password.

First, you need to check that the c:\xampp\mysql\data directory was created.

Suppose you find a [computer name].err file in the data folder with the temporary one-time use password for you to log in as root.

open the c:\xampp\data[computer name].err file with any text editor. Copy the password.

Start & Connect the Server

Use the XAMPP Control Panel to start the MySQL service.

• Open a new CMD Console and change the directory to ‘c:\xampp\mysql\bin’.
• Connect to MySQL and enter the password you found in the ‘.err’ file:

cd c:\xampp\mysql\bin
mysql -u root -p

• Reset the root password to an empty string:

mysql> ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY '';

• Exit the MySQL command prompt:

mysql> exit

In this tutorial, we’ve covered the essential steps to replace MariaDB with MySQL in XAMPP.

By following these steps, you’ve ensured a smooth transition while keeping your data and configurations.

Remember to create backups at crucial stages and exercise caution throughout the process. Enjoy working with your new MySQL-powered local development environment!