Ubuntu 21.10, mariadb update failure

Question

Here is the error message:

Setting up mariadb-common (1:10.5.13-0ubuntu0.21.10.1) ...
update-alternatives: error: alternative path /etc/mysql/mariadb.cnf doesn't exist
dpkg: error processing package mariadb-common (--configure):
 installed mariadb-common package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 mariadb-common

I also get:

Package failed to install:
Error while installing package: installed mariadb-common package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 2
Please report this issue to the packagers of your distribution

What should I do?

Answer 1

FWIW I stopped apt complaining about this by copying the mariadb.cnf file from a nominally identical system. For the record this is what it contains, should anyone else encounter this problem:

# The MariaDB configuration file
#
# The MariaDB/MySQL tools read configuration files in the following order:
# 1. "/etc/mysql/mariadb.cnf" (this file) to set global defaults,
# 2. "/etc/mysql/conf.d/*.cnf" to set global options.
# 3. "/etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/*.cnf" to set MariaDB-only options.
# 4. "~/.my.cnf" to set user-specific options.
#
# If the same option is defined multiple times, the last one will apply.
#
# One can use all long options that the program supports.
# Run program with --help to get a list of available options and with
# --print-defaults to see which it would actually understand and use.

#
# This group is read both both by the client and the server
# use it for options that affect everything
#
[client-server]

# Import all .cnf files from configuration directory
!includedir /etc/mysql/conf.d/
!includedir /etc/mysql/mariadb.conf.d/