Redmine and other Ruby-on-Rails apps - No root like MySQL/MariaDB user for DB admin via Webmin

[JedMeister]

All PHP based web apps have an adminer MariaDB user configured. That is intended for use with Adminer (DB web UI management tool) and the "MySQL" webmin module has been preconfigured and patched to note that the adminer user should be used.

However Ruby on Rails (RoR) applications and most likely other apps that do not include Adminer, do not have a pre-configured MariaDB user that can safely be used within Webmin for user DB management. Thus the adminer user does not exist, and the Webmin pre-configuration and patched text (note to use adminer), do not make sense. Thus users may set a root MariaDB user password (not to be confused with the root Linux user).

This needs to be improved!

I have a few thoughts.

1. create a "root like" MariaDB user - with password set at firstboot - for all apps that include MariaDB
   • I was thinking renaming it to admin, although a user has noted that may create confusion as it's the same name as the web application username
   • that will be a change for users with Adminer, but will make it consistent across all apps that include MariaDB
2. change the adminer username to something else
3. patch the Webmin "MySQL" module text to be clearer
   • patch Webmin to give a scary warning if the user tries to set the root MariaDB password? Or;
   • alternatively patch the Webmin module to not even allow it?
   • either way, aim to work with upstream on that and push the feature(s) upstream

See further discussion/recommendations regarding this towards the end of a user forum post on the subject:
https://www.turnkeylinux.org/forum/support/tue-20240430-1614/cant-get-redmine-v180-run#comment-56482