[debian-mysql] Bug#841345: Bug#841345: mysql-server-5.7: Unable to switch from mariadb to mysql, "downgrade" is aborted

[Lars Tangvald]

----- fsateler at debian.org wrote:

> Package: mysql-server-5.7
> Version: 5.7.15-1
> Severity: important
> 
> 
> Switching from mariadb to mysql fails with the following error
> message:
> 
> Aborting downgrade from (at least) 10.0 to 5.7.
> If are sure you want to downgrade to 5.7, remove the file
> /var/lib/mysql/debian-*.flag and try installing again.
> 
> 
> The test[1] seems to be a bit naive, given that mariadb uses the same
> flag file.
> 
> Mariadb and mysql are supposed to be drop-in replacements, so
> switching
> between them should be supported.
> 
This is a misunderstanding, unfortunately. MySQL and MariaDB are not drop-in replacements of each other. 
MariaDB is able to read the databases of some MySQL versions (5.5 and earlier and probably 5.6, since the database structure didn't change too much there), but as far as I know they don't yet support 5.7-created databases in any released version.
MySQL does not support running with a MariaDB-created database.

While the flag system does need a redesign (there's an issue to track this at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/mysql-5.7/+bug/1490071) it's more likely the solution there will be to move the old versions data "out of the way", possibly with an option to try using it.

--
Lars