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MariaDB is a popular open-source relational database that serves as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. It’s fast, reliable, and widely used in web development. If you want a quick and clean way to run MariaDB without installing it directly on your system, Docker is the way to go.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to install and run MariaDB using Docker, set up users and passwords, and connect to the database using tools like DBeaver or the MariaDB command-line interface.
Let’s walk through the steps!

Why Use Docker to Run MariaDB?

Running MariaDB in Docker has many advantages:
  • No installation required on your actual system
  • Easy to start, stop, or delete
  • Perfect for testing and development environments
  • Clean and isolated
  • Works across platforms

Prerequisites

Make sure Docker is installed before starting. If not: Or for Ubuntu/Linux: 
sudo apt update && sudo apt install docker.io
Verify Docker is working: 
docker --version

Step 1: Pull the MariaDB Docker Image

Open your terminal and run: 
docker pull mariadb
This will download the latest MariaDB image from Docker Hub. To pull a specific version (e.g., 10.6): 
>docker pull mariadb:10.6

Step 2: Run the MariaDB Container

Now, let's start a MariaDB container with your own database, username, and password: 
docker run --name mariadb-container \
  -e MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=secret123 \
  -e MARIADB_DATABASE=mydb \
  -e MARIADB_USER=myuser \
  -e MARIADB_PASSWORD=mypassword \
  -p 3306:3306 \
  -d mariadb:latest

What this does:

  • Creates a new container called mariadb-container
  • Sets the root password to secret123
  • Creates a database called mydb
  • Adds a user myuser with password mypassword
  • Exposes the database on port 3306 (default)
  • Runs it in the background (-d)

Step 3: Persist Data Using Docker Volumes

If you want your data to survive container restarts or deletions, use a volume: 
docker run --name mariadb-container \
  -e MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=secret123 \
  -e MARIADB_DATABASE=mydb \
  -e MARIADB_USER=myuser \
  -e MARIADB_PASSWORD=mypassword \
  -p 3306:3306 \
  -v mariadb-data:/var/lib/mysql \
  -d mariadb:latest
The volume mariadb-data will hold your database files safely.

Step 4: Check If MariaDB Is Running

To verify the container is running: 
docker ps
You should see something like: 
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE     COMMAND                  STATUS         PORTS
xxxxx          mariadb   "docker-entrypoint..."   Up 10 seconds  3306/tcp

Step 5: Connect to MariaDB

Option 1: Using the CLI (Inside the Container)

docker exec -it mariadb-container mariadb -u root -p
Enter the root password (secret123) and you'll enter the MariaDB shell.

Option 2: Using GUI Tools (DBeaver, HeidiSQL, etc.)

Use these settings:
  • Host: localhost
  • Port: 3306
  • Username: myuser
  • Password: mypassword
  • Database: mydb
You’re now connected and can manage your database easily.

Step 6: Manage the Container

Useful Docker commands:
Task Command
Stop container docker stop mariadb-container
Start container docker start mariadb-container
Remove container docker rm -f mariadb-container
Remove volume docker volume rm mariadb-data

Use Docker Compose

Want an even simpler way to manage your database setup? Use a docker-compose.yml file: 
version: '3.8'

services:
  mariadb:
    image: mariadb:latest
    container_name: mariadb-container
    environment:
      MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD: secret123
      MARIADB_DATABASE: mydb
      MARIADB_USER: myuser
      MARIADB_PASSWORD: mypassword
    ports:
      - "3306:3306"
    volumes:
      - mariadb-data:/var/lib/mysql

volumes:
  mariadb-data:
Start the container with: 
docker-compose up -d
Stop it with: 
>docker-compose down

Best Practices

  • Use strong passwords for production setups.
  • Always use volumes to prevent data loss.
  • Avoid using the root account in applications—create separate users.
  • Use docker-compose for team projects and multi-service setups.

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