Upgrade MySQL 8 to MariaDB 11.8 in WHM Safely, Without Data Loss
MySQL 8.0 left extended support in April 2026. This guide covers moving a cPanel server from MySQL 8.0 to MariaDB 11.8 LTS through WHM, with the backup, compatibility and verification steps that keep customer databases intact.
September 29, 2026
MySQL 8.4 vs 9.7 LTS: what hosting admins need to know
Oracle now ships MySQL as an innovation track plus periodic LTS releases; this guide compares the two current LTS versions, 8.4 and 9.7, on support dates, defaults, control-panel availability and upgrade paths, so a hosting provider can set a version policy.
September 29, 2026
MySQL 8.0 End of Life: Safe Move to 8.4 or MariaDB
MySQL 8.0 left extended support in April 2026; this guide sets out the two realistic destinations for a cPanel server, the differences that matter between MySQL 8.4 LTS and MariaDB 11.8, and how to prepare, execute and verify either move through WHM.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB support timeline 2026–2029: which LTS should your servers run?
The current MariaDB long-term-support and rolling-release schedule as of late 2026, what each version's end-of-life date means for hosting servers, how cPanel and DirectAdmin support differs, and a simple policy for deciding when to move.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB Unknown Variable After Upgrade: Fix Failed Startup
When MariaDB refuses to start after an upgrade with an unknown variable or unknown option error, the cause is a removed setting in my.cnf; this guide shows how to find it quickly, lists the variables removed across recent versions, and covers the related redo-log failure.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB Vector Search PHP: VECTOR Type (11.8/12.x)
A hands-on introduction to the native VECTOR column type and distance functions that arrived in MariaDB 11.7 and 11.8, showing how to create a vector index, insert embeddings from PHP with PDO, run nearest-neighbour queries and check that the index is being used.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB Not Starting After Upgrade: 5 Recovery Fixes
A recovery sequence for a cPanel server whose MariaDB refuses to start after a version jump, covering removed configuration variables, InnoDB crash recovery levels, running mariadb-upgrade, and application errors caused by stricter sql_mode defaults in 11.4 and later.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB 10.6 End of Life: Safe Upgrade Paths to 11.8 or 12.3
MariaDB 10.6 stopped receiving fixes in July 2026; this guide lays out the realistic upgrade targets for cPanel, DirectAdmin and standalone servers, the hop sequence each panel allows, what to test first and how to confirm the new version is healthy.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB 12.3 LTS: what changed and what breaks (reserved words, removed variables, Galera packages)
A hosting-focused review of MariaDB 12.3, the LTS released in May 2026, covering the new authentication and Oracle-compatibility features, the reserved words and removed variables that break existing configurations and queries, and the Galera packaging change.
September 29, 2026
mariadb-dump vs mysqldump: modern backup commands and wildcard database dumps
How the mariadb-dump command differs from the mysqldump symlink it replaces, the options every hosting backup script should use, the wildcard database selection added in MariaDB 12.1, and how to check a dump is complete and restorable.
September 29, 2026
MariaDB point-in-time recovery with binary logs (and 13.0’s innodb_log_archive)
How to enable and retain binary logs on a MariaDB hosting server so a customer's accidental DELETE can be undone to the second, the exact mariadb-binlog replay procedure, and what the innodb_log_archive feature in MariaDB 13.0 changes for recovery.
September 29, 2026
InnoDB Tuning MariaDB 11/12: Shared Hosting Settings
Practical InnoDB settings for a cPanel shared server on MariaDB 11.4, 11.8 or 12.3, with sizing rules for the buffer pool and redo log, the I/O settings that matter on NVMe, what the modern defaults already get right, and how to measure the result.
September 29, 2026