Mysql-server package has mariadb-connector-c-config as a dependency?

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1

Hi

I’ve noticed that when installing mysql-server on Alma 8 that mariadb-connector-c-config is installed as a dependency (it also looks to be used by keepalived). It seems a bit weird to me that mysql would be using a mariadb package, and I can’t find any sign of a similar/equivalent package in MySQL’s official repo.

This has caused me some minor dependency issues on my Foreman server. Does anybody know why MySQL would be using a MariaDB package on Alma?

[aw@dcbutlmta01 ~]$ sudo dnf install mysql-server
[sudo] password for aw:
Updating Subscription Management repositories.
Dependencies resolved.
==================================================================================================================================
 Package                        Arch       Version                                   Repository                               Size
==================================================================================================================================
Installing:
 mysql-server                   x86_64     8.0.32-1.module_el8.8.0+3567+56a616e4     REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os      32 M
Installing dependencies:
 mariadb-connector-c-config     noarch     3.1.11-2.el8_3                            REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os      14 k
 mecab                          x86_64     0.996-2.module_el8.6.0+3340+d764b636      REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os     392 k
 mysql                          x86_64     8.0.32-1.module_el8.8.0+3567+56a616e4     REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os      15 M
 mysql-common                   x86_64     8.0.32-1.module_el8.8.0+3567+56a616e4     REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os     136 k
 mysql-errmsg                   x86_64     8.0.32-1.module_el8.8.0+3567+56a616e4     REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os     628 k
 protobuf-lite                  x86_64     3.5.0-15.el8                              REDACTED_Alma_8_AppStream_x86_64_os     148 k

Thanks.

2

One can check, even from packages that are not installed, what they require and provide:

dnf rq --requires mysql-server
dnf rq --requires --resolve mysql-server
dnf rq --provides mariadb-connector-c-config

Those should narrow down, what capabilities the mariadb-connector-c-config is pulled for.

Your output looks like all packages do come from same repo. Was repo populated with “one (mariadb-connector-c-config) is enough” ideology?

3

Thanks for the reply. Yeh, I’ve already traced all the dependencies back, it just seems a little weird that mysql packages are being cross pollinated with Mariadb ones. The package in question contains templates for basic MySQL config files in /etc, so my current working theory is that the Alma convention differs slightly from the one used by MySQL as a whole, and uses the ones that match Maria instead, but that is just guesswork.

The problem cropped up when I added the Maria repo to my default list of repos in Foreman, which made the package available from two different repos. I think I’m going to add some restrictions back in to push the boxes back towards using the Alma defaults, so I have a plan for a more permanent fix (initially I added module_hotfixes=true against the Maria repo, which resolved the conflict as far as completing the updates went), but I’m going to push the boxes concerned back towards updating the package from the standard Alma repos if I can.

4

Back in CentOS 7:

# yum -q provides *etc/my.cnf
1:mariadb-libs-5.5.68-1.el7.x86_64 : The shared libraries required for MariaDB/MySQL clients
Repo        : sbl-base
Matched from:
Filename    : /etc/my.cnf

I’d say that Red Hat packages (MariaDB and MySQL) for RHEL in a way that differs from “only MySQL” sources. I don’t think that AlmaLinux can take full credit for that.

5

Agreed, I’ve been seeing this issue pop up now and then since before Alma diverged from Red Hat, so I’d assume this is likely also the same for Red Hat/Rocky etc.