We want to use MySQL with Apache HTTP Server on our machine in order to run WordPress and other services like it. Since we installed Apache and PHP for Apache we are now able to install MySQL and configure it to work with PHP.

Since we use Arch Linux MariaDB is the default installation. Keeping that in mind we are installing MariaDB, even if we might not use it to it’s full extend.

The Tutorial provided by wiki.archlinux.org describes everything we need and more. Here is the gist:

PHP Configuration

Uncomment the following lines in /etc/php/php.ini, by removing the #:

extension=pdo_mysql.so
extension=mysqli.so

Installation

run in Terminal

sudo pacman -S mariadb
sudo mysql_install_db --user=mysql --basedir=/usr --datadir=/var/lib/mysql

Start MySQL

run in Terminal

systemctl start mysqld

Setup Security

run in Terminal

sudo mysql_secure_installation 

MySQL Configuration

run in Terminal (replace root with the set user)

mysql -u root -p

enter these SQL commands (replace root with the WordPress user and choose_db_password with some password)

CREATE DATABASE wordpress;
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON wordpress.* TO "root"@"localhost" IDENTIFIED BY "choose_db_password";
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT

Achievements

Now that we have setup and configured Apache, PHP for Apache and MySQL we are finally able to install WordPress correctly.