Running a local MariaDB instance is the final piece of the puzzle. You have two main paths: installing it directly on your machine (the “old school” way) or using Docker (the modern, cleaner way).

I highly recommend Docker, as it keeps your computer clean and allows you to wipe the database and start over in seconds.

This requires Docker Desktop to be installed.

1. Run the container: Open your terminal and paste this command:

docker run --name my-mariadb -e MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=password -p 3306:3306 -d mariadb:latest

• --name: The name of your container.
• -e MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD: Sets your “root” user password to password.
• -p 3306:3306: Maps the database port to your local machine.

Verify it’s running: Type docker ps. You should see mariadb:latest in the list.