MariaDB Foundation - First Quarter Board Update

This presentation was delivered during the MariaDB Foundation Board Meeting on 25 June 2026

Transcript

1. First Quarter With MariaDB Community signals, migrations, outreach strategy Frédéric Descamps Board Member & Community Advocate MariaDB Foundation Board Meeting — June 2026
2. The story I want us to rally around MariaDB is not just stable — it is becoming visible, useful, and trusted again. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 2
3. The Goal What I joined the MariaDB Foundation to do • bring long-time MySQL users into the MariaDB conversation • translate community concerns into Board-level priorities • make our technical progress easier to understand publicly • increase adoption and visibility of MariaDB Server as the open continuation of the MySQL lineage Board minutes already framed this well The Foundation noted the value of a community voice with technical credibility, historical knowledge, and trust in the MySQL ecosystem. Source: MariaDB Foundation Board minutes, 25 Feb 2026 Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 3
4. The signals are pointing in the right direction Momentum MariaDB visibility rose across public channels from September 2025 to February 2026. lefred.be: “MariaDB Keeps Climbing” Feedback Community polls are producing concrete product signals instead of vague sentiment. mariadb.org/blog: compatibility + preview release polls Trust Public questions around continuity and governance are being answered directly, not ignored. MariaDB.org + lefred.be Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 4
5. Community signals: what people are telling us Compatibility is not nostalgia The MySQL-compatibility poll received 506 votes. The top requests were close: MEMBER OF JSON operator and bitwise operators for binary/bit types. Signal: users want MariaDB to be the practical path forward for MySQL workloads. Deployment reality still matters The production poll showed MariaDB remains strongly infrastructure-aware: on-prem VMs and bare metal were the clearest visible deployment models. Signal: our audience values control, operability, and predictability. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 5
6. Community signals: what people are telling us Compatibility is not nostalgia The MySQL-compatibility poll received 506 votes. The top requests were close: MEMBER OF JSON operator and bitwise operators for binary/bit types. Signal: users want MariaDB to be the practical path forward for MySQL workloads. Deployment reality still matters The production poll showed MariaDB remains strongly infrastructure-aware: on-prem VMs and bare metal were the clearest visible deployment models. Signal: our audience values control, operability, and predictability. But even more, we increased the amount of participation in the community polls, which is a strong signal that people are interested in MariaDB and want to have their voices heard. This is a positive sign for the Foundation and the future of MariaDB. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 5
7. • 30 blog posts published on mariadb.org 5 pending already • 31 blog posts published on lefred.be • 9 presentations at conferences and meetups 1 again tomorrow Community Outreach We increased our outreach efforts to the community, including more blog posts, social media engagement, and participation in relevant forums. This has led to a noticeable increase in community engagement and feedback. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 6
8. • 30 blog posts published on mariadb.org 5 pending already • 31 blog posts published on lefred.be • 9 presentations at conferences and meetups 1 again tomorrow Just by me... ... more with my colleagues Community Outreach We increased our outreach efforts to the community, including more blog posts, social media engagement, and participation in relevant forums. This has led to a noticeable increase in community engagement and feedback. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 6
9. Community is following Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 7
10. Community is following Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 8
11. Community is following Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 9
12. Community is following Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 10
13. Migrations The market is asking, “Can MariaDB be the safe next step?” Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 11
14. Migration signals: the door is open Reddit signal Recent r/mariadb threads ask for a MySQL 8.4 → MariaDB 12.x migration guide and discuss why people have not migrated yet. This is not noise. It is qualified demand. Content signal My “I joined the MariaDB Foundation” post resonated because it spoke to the same issue: trust, continuity, and where the MySQL lineage goes next. This is the moment to be practical. Community Key Players I received direct feedback from key community members, including developers and DBAs, who are actively considering migration paths. Their insights are invaluable for shaping MariaDB's roadmap. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 12
15. Technical Excellence Features, Innovations, Plugins & Storage Engines Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 13
16. Put the technical progress under the spotlight MariaDB's Features • Started a new series about “hidden gems” in MariaDB Server, highlighting features that are often overlooked but can significantly improve performance and usability. • Started a new series on MariaDB Innovations, showcasing the latest developments and improvements. Visibility to innovative engines DuckSB: “sea lion learns to quack” story: analytics next to transactional data, and a very shareable innovation narrative. TideSQL: new storage engine for MariaDB Server, with a clear story about how it can help users manage some type of data more effectively. External contributors For MariaDB Server 11.8 alone: about 62 contributions from 35 external contributors in the May releases. Starting to thanks the contributors publicly into a dedicated blog post. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 14
17. Plugins We refreshed the MariaDB Plugins page on mariadb.org, including how to contribute. I also started a new series of blog posts about Adding a new datatype. I wrote several plugins for MariaDB Server (all available on GitHub):: . . . . . Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 15
18. Adoption Momentum & Good Vibes Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 16
19. Momentum since February 2026: adoption signals Usage and deployment • MariaDB.org downloads: 129,774 → 225,260 +74% from February to May • Docker Official Image pulls: 13.1M → 17.8M +36% from February to May People are not just reading. They are pulling, testing, and deploying. Developer visibility • GitHub README mentions: 226,685 → 265,588 +17% from February to May • GitHub stars: 7,234 → 7,662 +6% from February to May MariaDB is showing up in more real project contexts. Source: MariaDB Adoption Index, February–May 2026 public dataset Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 17
20. Momentum: community health Contributor depth • Unique GitHub PR contributors: 95 → 122 +28% from February to May • Returning contributors: 15 → 24 +60% from February to May The contributor base is widening, and repeat contribution is improving. Audience growth • r/MariaDB subscribers: 3,480 → 3,678 +6% from February to May • Foundation LinkedIn followers: 5,886 → 6,119 +4% from February to May • plc LinkedIn followers: 25,973 → 26,680 +3% from February to May Visibility is moving in the right direction across public channels. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 18
21. Momentum: contributors & contributions If we refer to MariaDB Server 11.8, we had about 62 contributions from 35 external contributors. And with the latest 12.3.2, we increase that number to 57 external contributors!!! Not only have MariaDB Server distinct contributors surpassed the distinct MySQL Server contributors count! The External MariaDB contributors alone did! Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 19
22. Momentum: contributors & contributions If we refer to MariaDB Server 11.8, we had about 62 contributions from 35 external contributors. And with the latest 12.3.2, we increase that number to 57 external contributors!!! Not only have MariaDB Server distinct contributors surpassed the distinct MySQL Server contributors count! The External MariaDB contributors alone did! Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 19
23. Ecosystem pull: famous projects are naming MariaDB Drupal Official database requirements now list MariaDB recommended for Drupal 10, 11, and 12. High-credibility CMS signal Laravel laravel-mariadb- vector brings MariaDB native vector search to Laravel’s Eloquent ORM; Foundation blog notes 100+ installs without marketing. Mainstream PHP/AI signal dbdeployer ProxySQL’s sponsorship explicitly calls out MariaDB support work in the operational toolbox: ProxySQL, dbdeployer, and orchestrator. MySQL DBA ecosystem signal Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 20
24. 12.3 LTS creates downstream activity DDEV DDEV opened first-class support for MariaDB 12.3 LTS, including a new database image and ddev config --database=mariadb:12.3 path. Interpretation: local development tooling follows production needs. DrupalCI DrupalCI added work for a MariaDB 12.3 container, pinned to the new LTS series. Interpretation: the Drupal ecosystem is not only recommending MariaDB; it is testing against current MariaDB. Flyway Flyway users are asking to formalize MariaDB 11.8 / 12.3 LTS support. Interpretation: migration tooling reacts when users run current MariaDB in real projects. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 21
25. Friendly ecosystem message The story since February is not only “MariaDB usage is up.” The stronger story is that MariaDB is becoming more visible and more useful across the broader MySQL-compatible ecosystem. New sponsors are joining, operational tools like ProxySQL/dbdeployer are moving closer, Laravel developers are building around MariaDB Vector, Drupal is recommending MariaDB, and development platforms like DDEV are adding MariaDB 12.3 LTS support. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 22
26. Turn attention into participation 1. Be where the friction is Reddit, LinkedIn, blog comments, forums, conferences, and migration conversations. Respond with practical help, not slogans. 2. Make every release testable Short “what to try” posts, upgrade labs, sample workloads, container paths, and known gaps. 3. Celebrate contributors publicly Sea Lion Champions, release thank-yous, ecosystem partners, dbdeployer, operators, connectors, tools. 4. Create migration proof Guides, case studies, checklists, demo repos, “known sharp edges,” and public fixes. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 23
27. Turn attention into participation 1. Be where the friction is Reddit, LinkedIn, blog comments, forums, conferences, and migration conversations. Respond with practical help, not slogans. 2. Make every release testable Short “what to try” posts, upgrade labs, sample workloads, container paths, and known gaps. 3. Celebrate contributors publicly Sea Lion Champions, release thank-yous, ecosystem partners, dbdeployer, operators, connectors, tools. 4. Create migration proof Guides, case studies, checklists, demo repos, “known sharp edges,” and public fixes. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 23
28. We need to stay the good and friendly player We need to keep being the credible, open, and friendly continuation of the MySQL lineage. That means: • being open and transparent about progress, gaps, and known issues • being practical and helpful in migration conversations • being visible and amplifying the community’s voice, not just our own Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 24
29. We need to stay the good and friendly player We need to keep being the credible, open, and friendly continuation of the MySQL lineage. That means: • being open and transparent about progress, gaps, and known issues • being practical and helpful in migration conversations • being visible and amplifying the community’s voice, not just our own All what we are already doing! Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 24
30. Always Friendly, Always Open.. but also honest! The Foundation is doing a lot of good work, and the community needs to see it. So, we need to be even more visible with all the good things we are doing and not too shy when we have something to say that might make people cringe but are fair and honest: • A response to Percona’s 2026 MySQL ecosystem benchmark: useful data, but not a realistic MariaDB comparison • VillageSQL Features… déjà vu? Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 25
31. MariaDB Foundation is turning renewed interest into visible community action: clearer migration paths, stronger feedback loops, more external contribution, and public stories that show MariaDB as the credible open continuation of the MySQL lineage. This is cool progress. It is also exactly the kind of progress we should make easy to quote. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 26
32. What we need to keep doing Alignment A shared public narrative: openness, adoption, continuity — with migrations as the practical proof point. Visibility Amplify community content from Foundation, Board, sponsors, partners, and contributors. Support Help prioritize migration material, compatibility gaps, and outreach assets. Be concrete Specific examples beat abstract positioning. Public notes should name the progress. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 27
33. Thank you Let’s make MariaDB the obvious open path forward. Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 28
34. Resources used • MariaDB Foundation Board minutes, 25 Feb 2026 — https://mariadb.org/bodminutes/2026-02-25/ • MariaDB.org blog: community polls, release posts, contributor posts, 10.6 EOL, DuckDB engine, sponsor announcements, Drupal, Laravel Vector, MariaDB 12.3 LTS The Power of The Community post, MariaDB Server 12.3, 11.8, 11.4, 10.11, 10.6 – May 2026’s releases: thank you for your contributions • MariaDB Adoption Index public dataset: February–May 2026 downloads, Docker pulls, GitHub, social/community metrics • lefred.be: “I joined the MariaDB Foundation”, “A Friendly Reset”, “MariaDB Keeps Climbing”, poll analysis posts, MariaDB 12.3 LTS • Drupal.org database requirements; DDEV and DrupalCI MariaDB 12.3 LTS issues; Flyway MariaDB LTS support issue • LinkedIn search results: MariaDB Foundation “Meet the team”, Sea Lion Champions, dbdeployer support, migration/ community amplification • Reddit: r/mariadb migration-guide questions and migration discussion threads Copyright @ 2026 MariaDB Foundation. 29