Linux and macOS

Install, upgrade, and remove MariaDB Shell on Linux and macOS with the install.sh script.

The install.sh script installs MariaDB Shell into your home directory from a GitHub release. It runs under any POSIX shell, including minimal container images that have no bash.

Requirements

Linux with glibc 2.34 or later, or macOS 15 or later (macOS 26 or later on Apple silicon). Linux distributions based on musl libc are not supported.
An x86-64 or ARM64 CPU.
curl, tar, and awk.
sha256sum or shasum, to verify the download.
jq or python3, only when you install a prerelease with --pre-release.

Install the Latest Release

Run the script from the repository:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.sh | bash

The script performs these steps:

Detects the operating system, the CPU architecture, and, on Linux, the glibc version (with getconf GNU_LIBC_VERSION, or ldd --version as a fallback). On macOS, it reads the major version from sw_vers.
Downloads the SHA256SUMS file of the release and uses it as the list of available packages.
Selects the package that matches your architecture and has the highest platform version that is not newer than yours. For example, a package built for glibc 2.34 is selected on a system with glibc 2.39.
Downloads the package and compares its SHA-256 checksum with the value in SHA256SUMS. The script stops if the checksums don't match.
Unpacks the package into ~/.local/share/mariadb-shell/<version>, for example ~/.local/share/mariadb-shell/26.9.5.
Creates the symbolic links ~/.local/bin/mariadb-shell and ~/.local/bin/msh, which point to the installed version.
Removes older versions, keeping the new version and one previous version. See Upgrade and Roll Back.

A successful run ends with output similar to the following:

==> Detected: linux 2.39, x86-64bit
==> Fetching package list from the latest release
==> Selected mariadb-shell-26.9.5-linux-glibc2.34-x86-64bit.tar.gz
==> Downloading
==> Verifying checksum
==> Unpacking into /home/dba/.local/share/mariadb-shell
==> Installed /home/dba/.local/share/mariadb-shell/26.9.5/bin/mariadb-shell   Ver 26.9.5 ...
==> Binary: /home/dba/.local/bin/mariadb-shell -> /home/dba/.local/share/mariadb-shell/26.9.5/bin/mariadb-shell
==>         /home/dba/.local/bin/msh -> /home/dba/.local/share/mariadb-shell/26.9.5/bin/msh

info

Without options, the script installs the newest release that is not marked as a prerelease on GitHub. If no such release exists, the script cannot find SHA256SUMS and stops with an error. In that case, install the newest prerelease or a specific version as described in the next sections.

Install a Prerelease

To install the newest release even if it is a prerelease, pass --pre-release to the script. When you pipe the script into a shell, pass options after -s --:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --pre-release

Install a Specific Version

To install a particular release, set MARIADB_SHELL_TAG to its tag. A pinned tag takes precedence over --pre-release:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.sh | MARIADB_SHELL_TAG=v26.9.5 bash

Each release also carries a copy of install.sh as a release asset.

Add the Command Directory to PATH

The script does not edit your shell startup files. If ~/.local/bin is not on your PATH, the script prints a reminder at the end. Add the directory to your shell profile, for example ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc:

export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Open a new terminal, then check the installation:

mariadb-shell --version

Installation Options

The script reads the following environment variables:

Variable	Default	Description
`MARIADB_SHELL_TAG`	Newest release	Release tag to install, for example `v26.9.5`.
`MARIADB_SHELL_PREFIX`	`~/.local/share/mariadb-shell`	Directory that holds the unpacked versions.
`MARIADB_SHELL_BINDIR`	`~/.local/bin`	Directory where the `mariadb-shell` and `msh` links are created.
`MARIADB_SHELL_REPO`	`mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell`	GitHub repository, in `owner/repo` form, to install from. It must be public.

The script accepts these options:

Option	Description
`--pre-release`	Install the newest release, including prereleases.
`-h`, `--help`	Print usage information and exit.

For example, to install into /opt/mariadb-shell and create the links in /usr/local/bin, run the script as a user who can write to both directories:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/mariadb-corporation/mariadb-shell/raw/main/install.sh \
  | MARIADB_SHELL_PREFIX=/opt/mariadb-shell MARIADB_SHELL_BINDIR=/usr/local/bin sh

Upgrade and Roll Back

To upgrade, run the installation command again. The script installs the new version next to the existing ones and points the mariadb-shell and msh links at it. Running the command for a version that is already installed replaces that version's files.

After each installation, the script keeps only two versions in the prefix directory: the version it installed and the highest of the other versions. It removes only directories whose names consist of digits and dots, and leaves any other files in the prefix directory alone.

To roll back to the previous version, point the links at it:

ln -sfn ~/.local/share/mariadb-shell/26.9.4/bin/mariadb-shell ~/.local/bin/mariadb-shell
ln -sfn ~/.local/share/mariadb-shell/26.9.4/bin/msh ~/.local/bin/msh

Alternatively, reinstall the earlier release with MARIADB_SHELL_TAG.

Upgrading does not change your configuration directory, ~/.mariadb-shell.

Uninstall

The script has no uninstall mode. To remove MariaDB Shell, delete the links and the installation directory:

rm -f ~/.local/bin/mariadb-shell ~/.local/bin/msh
rm -rf ~/.local/share/mariadb-shell

If you used MARIADB_SHELL_PREFIX or MARIADB_SHELL_BINDIR, delete those locations instead.

To also remove your history, settings, plugins, log file, and sandbox instances, delete ~/.mariadb-shell. Stop any running sandbox instances first. See Files and Environment Variables.

Troubleshooting

Message	Cause and solution
`could not determine the glibc version (musl is not supported)`	The system does not use glibc. Use a glibc-based distribution or container image.
`no compatible package for linux 2.31 / x86-64bit`	The system's glibc is older than any package in the release. The script lists the available packages. Upgrade to a distribution with glibc 2.34 or later.
`unsupported CPU architecture`	Only x86-64 and ARM64 packages are built.
`could not download SHA256SUMS from the latest release`	The release does not exist or is a prerelease. Use `--pre-release` or set `MARIADB_SHELL_TAG`.
`checksum mismatch`	The download is corrupt or incomplete. Run the script again.
`this install needs jq or python3 to read the release listing`	Install `jq` or `python3`, which the script needs for `--pre-release`.

Requirements​

Install the Latest Release​

Install a Prerelease​

Install a Specific Version​

Add the Command Directory to PATH​

Installation Options​

Upgrade and Roll Back​

Uninstall​

Troubleshooting​