[debian-mysql] Bug#1108553: mariadb-server: Upgrading 1:11.8.1-4 to 1:11.8.2-1 generates warning and error, but appears to work

[Daniel Lewart]

Package: mariadb-server
Version: 1:11.8.2-1
Severity: minor

Dear Otto, et al,

Upgrading mariadb-server from version 1:11.8.1-4 to 1:11.8.2-1
generates a warning and an error, but appears to work:

$ sudo apt-get install mariadb-server
...
Setting up mariadb-server (1:11.8.2-1) ...
Warning: The unit file, source configuration file or drop-ins of mariadb.service changed on disk. Run 'systemctl daemon-reload' to reload units.

$ journalctl -p3 -t mariadb-server.postinst
... debian mariadb-server.postinst[nnnnn]: mysql.user table already exists!
... debian mariadb-server.postinst[nnnnn]: Run mariadb-upgrade, not mariadb-install-db

$ sudo mariadb-upgrade
This installation of MariaDB is already upgraded to 11.8.1-MariaDB.
There is no need to run mariadb-upgrade again for 11.8.2-MariaDB, because they're both 11.8.
You can use --force if you still want to run mariadb-upgrade

Relevant excerpt from mariadb-server.postinst:
   185	    # initiate databases. Output is not allowed by debconf :-(
   186	    # This will fail if we are upgrading an existing database; in this case
   187	    # mariadb-upgrade, called from the /etc/mysql/debian-start script, will
   188	    # handle things.
   189	    # Debian: beware of the bashisms...
   190	    # Debian: can safely run on upgrades with existing databases
   191	    # Workaround for Debian Bug #1022994: failure to create database when
   192	    # working with libpam-tmpdir (by setting TMPDIR to empty value).
   193	    set +e
   194	    TMPDIR='' bash /usr/bin/mariadb-install-db \
   195	      --rpm --cross-bootstrap \
   196	      --user=mysql --disable-log-bin \
   197	      --skip-test-db 2>&1 |
   198	      $ERR_LOGGER
   199	    set -e

Perhaps the journal errors could be addressed by the following?:
	if [ ! -f "$mysql_datadir/mysql/user.frm" ]; then
		<excerpt>
	fi

Also, why is "--rpm --cross-bootstrap" used?

Thank you!
Daniel Lewart
Urbana, Illinois