Stopping the MariaDB Server: Alternative Methods and Best Practices

• The Problem: The user is having trouble stopping the MariaDB server using the mysql.server stop command.
• mysql.server stop: This is a command typically used on systems where MariaDB is installed using a package manager. It tells the system to stop the MariaDB server process.
• MariaDB Server: MariaDB is an open-source relational database management system, similar to MySQL.

sudo systemctl stop mariadb.service

Explanation:

• mariadb.service: The specific service file for MariaDB.
• stop: Instructs the service manager to stop the service.
• systemctl: The system service manager.
• sudo: Grants administrative privileges to run the command.

Using mysqladmin (works on various systems):

sudo mysqladmin shutdown

• shutdown: Instructs the MariaDB server to shut down.
• mysqladmin: A MariaDB administrative tool.

Additional Notes:

• Remember to replace sudo with your administrator password if prompted.

If you're on an older system that might not use systemd, you can try using the init script:

sudo service mysql stop

Replace mysql with the actual service name for MariaDB on your system (it might be mariadb instead).

Stopping the process directly (NOT RECOMMENDED):

This method is not recommended as it can lead to data corruption if the server is actively processing queries. Use it only as a last resort if other methods fail.

• Identify the MariaDB process ID (PID):

ps aux | grep mysql

This will list running processes. Look for entries related to mysql and identify the PID (a numeric identifier).

• Stop the process using the PID:

sudo kill <PID>

Sending a signal (NOT RECOMMENDED):

Similar to the previous method, sending a signal directly to the process can be risky. Use with caution:

sudo killall -INT mysqld

This sends an interrupt (INT) signal to the mysqld process, which might initiate a graceful shutdown.