The Tool Desk
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Install the official Dokku MariaDB plugin on your Dokku host with sudo dokku plugin:install https://github.com/dokku/dokku-mariadb.git mariadb. The plugin requires Dokku 0.19 or later. After installation, create a database service with dokku mariadb:create <service-name>, then connect it to an app with dokku mariadb:link <service-name> <app-name>. Linking supplies the app with a DATABASE_URL connection string.
What you are installing
Dokku is a deployment platform that runs applications and supporting services on your own server. The MariaDB plugin adds Dokku commands for provisioning a MariaDB service and exposing that service to a Dokku app. Installing the plugin, creating a database service, and linking that service are separate operations; completing only the first step does not create a database for an application.
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Requirements before you begin
- A Dokku host: Run the commands on the server where Dokku is installed, not on your laptop and not inside an application container.
- Dokku 0.19 or newer: The documented
plugin:installform targets this release line. If your server is older, upgrade Dokku or follow documentation for that release before attempting installation. - Administrative access: The installation command uses
sudo, so your account must be allowed to run administrative commands on the host. - Network access to the repository: Dokku must be able to retrieve the plugin from GitHub during installation.
- An app name: You need the exact Dokku app name when you perform the link step. If the app has not been created yet, create or deploy it according to your normal Dokku workflow before linking.
Have a service name ready as well. A name such as bloggerdb or production-db makes it clear which database the service represents. Keep the same spelling and capitalization in every command; Dokku treats the service and app names as identifiers.
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Step 1: Install the official plugin
On the Dokku host, run:
sudo dokku plugin:install https://github.com/dokku/dokku-mariadb.git mariadbThe final argument, mariadb, is the plugin name that becomes the command namespace. A successful installation registers MariaDB commands with Dokku, including dokku mariadb:create and dokku mariadb:link.
Why the repository URL matters
Use the official Dokku MariaDB repository in the command above. Search results also contain forks that clone files into Dokku’s plugin directory and document a different installation approach. Those instructions are not interchangeable with the official plugin:install method and can leave you following commands intended for another codebase. If a third-party guide tells you to manually clone a fork, stop and compare it with the official repository before proceeding.
If the command is rejected
Read the error exactly as printed by Dokku. A “command not found” or unsupported plugin:install message usually points to a Dokku version or installation problem rather than a MariaDB service problem. Confirm that you are on the Dokku host, that your account can use sudo, and that the server can reach the repository. Do not continue to the database commands until the plugin installation has completed; those commands are provided by the plugin.
Step 2: Create a MariaDB service
Once the plugin is installed, create a service by replacing <service-name> with your chosen identifier:
dokku mariadb:create <service-name>For example:
dokku mariadb:create bloggerdbThis creates a MariaDB service that Dokku can later link to one or more applications according to your deployment design. The service name is not the same thing as the app name. In the example, bloggerdb identifies the database service; an app named blogger is linked in the next step.
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Optional create flags
The plugin README lists an optional --create-flags argument. It is intended for passing creation options supported by the service implementation. Because available flags can change with the plugin and MariaDB image versions, use the options shown in the current official README rather than copying a flag from an old post. If you do not need a documented option, the plain command is the least ambiguous starting point.
What this step does not do
- It does not install the plugin; installation must already be complete.
- It does not automatically connect every Dokku app to the new service.
- It does not, by itself, prove that a particular app is using the database.
Those distinctions are important on a host running several apps. Create the service once, then explicitly link the intended app.
Step 3: Link the service to your Dokku app
Linking is a separate command:
dokku mariadb:link <service-name> <app-name>Using the example names:
dokku mariadb:link bloggerdb bloggerReplace both placeholders with the exact identifiers used on your server. The first argument is the MariaDB service created in Step 2; the second is the Dokku app that should receive the connection details.
What linking provides
The link operation creates a DATABASE_URL variable for the app. The documented shape is:
service://user:pass@host:port/db_nameApplications commonly read this variable at startup and use it to configure their database client. Your application should consume the value supplied by Dokku instead of hard-coding credentials, a host name, a port, or a database name in source code.
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| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
service:// |
The connection-string scheme shown by the plugin. |
user |
The database username generated or selected for the service. |
pass |
The password associated with that database user. |
host |
The network host where the service is reachable from the app. |
port |
The MariaDB listener port supplied in the connection string. |
db_name |
The database name assigned to the service or app connection. |
The literal values in those fields are service-specific. Treat the complete variable as a secret: avoid pasting it into public issue reports, committing it to a repository, or printing it in application logs.
Complete installation example
The following sequence shows the minimum end-to-end flow for an app called blogger and a service called bloggerdb:
- Install the plugin on the Dokku host:
sudo dokku plugin:install https://github.com/dokku/dokku-mariadb.git mariadb - Create the MariaDB service:
dokku mariadb:create bloggerdb - Link the service to the app:
dokku mariadb:link bloggerdb blogger - Deploy or restart the app through your normal Dokku workflow so it starts with the linked configuration.
- From the application’s configuration or runtime diagnostics, confirm that a
DATABASE_URLvalue is present. Do not disclose the value itself when sharing logs.
The first command changes Dokku’s available commands. The second provisions the service. The third creates the app-to-service relationship and supplies the environment variable. Keeping these phases separate makes it easier to identify which operation failed.
MariaDB version considerations
The official README was reported to list MariaDB 11.3.2 as the default version at one point. That value is volatile: the plugin or its underlying image may change the default after you install it. Check the current README in the official repository immediately before production use, especially if your application depends on a particular MariaDB release or SQL behavior.
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Do not assume that a command copied from an older article selects the same MariaDB version as a current installation. Record the version you intentionally deploy and test your application against it. If the README documents a supported way to pass a version or creation flag, follow that current syntax; do not invent an option based on another Dokku plugin.
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Troubleshooting by symptom
“Unknown command” for dokku mariadb:create
- The plugin installation may not have completed. Re-run the official installation command and read its output for the first error.
- You may be connected to a different server than the one running Dokku. Check the shell prompt, host identity, and privileges before retrying.
- The plugin name may have been changed during installation. The documented command installs it under the
mariadbnamespace, so avoid replacing that final argument unless the current README explicitly instructs you to.
The repository cannot be downloaded
Verify outbound network and DNS access from the Dokku host and confirm that the URL was copied exactly. The command requires the repository URL and the plugin name as separate arguments. A malformed URL, a blocked connection, or insufficient permissions can all stop installation before Dokku registers the commands.
The service creation command fails
Check that you used a new, consistent service name and that the plugin is installed. If you supplied --create-flags, remove optional flags and retry the plain dokku mariadb:create <service-name> command. Add options back only after confirming that they are documented for the current plugin version.
The link command cannot find the service
The service name in the link command must exactly match the name passed to mariadb:create. For example, a service created as bloggerdb will not be found if you type blog-db. Copy the identifier from your notes or terminal history instead of retyping it.
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The link command cannot find the app
The second argument is an app name, not a server name, domain, repository name, or service name. Use the exact Dokku app identifier. If the app has not been created or deployed on this host, complete that app setup first and then repeat the link operation.
DATABASE_URL is missing after linking
First confirm that the link command completed without an error and that you linked the intended service to the intended app. A typo in either argument can produce a successful-looking workflow for the wrong target. Then inspect the app’s environment through your normal Dokku administration process and look specifically for DATABASE_URL. If it is absent, repeat the link command with the exact service and app names and review the resulting output.
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The application rejects the connection string
Compare the application’s expected variable name and URL scheme with the value supplied by Dokku. The documented variable is DATABASE_URL, and the documented form begins with service://. If your framework expects a different variable name, map that variable inside the application without exposing the credentials. Also check whether your database library supports the URI format your app is using.
A tutorial tells you to clone a different repository
Older and fork-specific instructions may use a manual clone into Dokku’s plugins directory. That is a different installation path from the official plugin:install command in this guide. For a new installation, use the official Dokku MariaDB repository and its current README, then use the matching mariadb:create and mariadb:link commands.
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- Confirm the target: Write down the app name and service name and verify both before linking.
- Confirm the variable: Ensure the app receives
DATABASE_URLafter the link operation. - Protect credentials: Treat the URL as sensitive configuration and keep it out of source control and public logs.
- Validate compatibility: Check the current MariaDB default in the official README and test the application with that version before production deployment.
- Separate environments: Use distinct service names for development, staging, and production so an accidental link does not point an app at the wrong database.
- Document the relationship: Record which app is linked to which service; this is especially useful on a Dokku host running multiple applications.
Installation alone does not define a backup, migration, upgrade, or disaster-recovery policy. Establish those procedures separately and verify them against the version and service behavior documented by the current plugin maintainers.
Command reference
| Purpose | Command | When to run it |
|---|---|---|
| Install the plugin | sudo dokku plugin:install https://github.com/dokku/dokku-mariadb.git mariadb |
Once on the Dokku host, using Dokku 0.19 or later. |
| Create a service | dokku mariadb:create <service-name> |
After the plugin is installed and before linking an app. |
| Create with documented options | dokku mariadb:create <service-name> --create-flags ... |
Only when the current README documents the flags you need. |
| Link a service | dokku mariadb:link <service-name> <app-name> |
After both the service and app exist. |
Final checklist
- You are logged into the correct Dokku host and can run administrative commands.
- Your Dokku release is 0.19 or newer.
- You installed from the official repository with the documented
plugin:installcommand. - You created a MariaDB service with a clearly recorded name.
- You linked that service to the exact Dokku app name.
- You confirmed that linking supplied
DATABASE_URL. - You checked the current README for the MariaDB default version and any supported creation flags.
- You kept the connection string private and tested the application before production use.
The Bottom Line
For Dokku 0.19 and later, install the official MariaDB plugin, create a named service, and link it explicitly to your app. The link step is what supplies DATABASE_URL; verify that variable and the current MariaDB version before deploying.
