MariaDB is a core sitectl service namespace. Operators use sitectl mariadb ... from any context whose project has a MariaDB-compatible service.
Backups
Export a SQL backup from the active context:
Without a database argument, backup exports all databases. The command runs mariadb-dump or mysqldump inside the database service and reads the root password from /run/secrets/DB_ROOT_PASSWORD, MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD, or MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD.
Use --service when a project uses a different database service name.
Restore
Import a SQL backup into the active context:
Restore is destructive. Without --yolo, sitectl prompts before replacing the target database.
Sync
Sync a database artifact between two sitectl contexts:
The sync flow reuses a recent source backup when possible, stages the artifact between contexts, and runs the same confirmed restore path on the target.
Inspection
Check the MariaDB container status or open an interactive client whose password
is read only inside the container:
Standalone MariaDB Compose projects may still exist, but the shared command surface belongs to core sitectl, not to a dedicated MariaDB CLI plugin.
Upgrade system tables
After deploying a new MariaDB image, reconcile its system tables with the running
server:
The command uses mariadb-upgrade (or the compatible legacy utility available in
the container). When the installed utility supports an upgrade-needed probe,
sitectl checks first and reports success without changing anything if the database
is already current. Upgrade failures remain failures; they are not treated as a
no-op. Use --service when the Compose service is not named mariadb.
Back up MariaDB and test the restore before changing the image or running a system-table upgrade. The command is designed to be safe to repeat, but it is not a substitute for a recoverable pre-upgrade backup.
Reference
backup
Export a MariaDB SQL backup from the active compose stack
restore
Import a MariaDB SQL backup into the active compose stack
sync
Sync a MariaDB database artifact between contexts
status
Show the compose service container status
cli
Open the MariaDB command-line client inside the active site’s database container.
The password is resolved from the configured mounted secret or database container
environment and sent only in the Docker exec environment. It is never placed on the
host command line or written to sitectl output.
