Install mariadb by default.

defaults/main.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
-mysql_enabled: True
+mysql_enabled: true
+mysql_installs_mariadb: true
 mysql_pkg_state: present
 mysql_conf_dir: /etc/mysql/conf.d
 mysql_service_conf_dir: /etc/mysql/mysql.conf.d
@@ -21,6 +22,14 @@ mysql_packages_list:
   - "{% if ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('20.04', '>=') %}python3-pymysql{% else %}python-pymysql{% endif %}"
   - "{% if ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('20.04', '>=') %}python3-mysql.connector{% else %}python-mysql.connector{% endif %}"
 
+mysql_mariadb_pkgs:
+  - mariadb-server
+  - mariadb-client
+  - "{% if ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('24.04', '<') %}mytop{% else %}mycli{% endif %}"
+  - "{% if ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('20.04', '>=') %}python3-mysqldb{% else %}python-mysqldb{% endif %}"
+  - "{% if ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('20.04', '>=') %}python3-pymysql{% else %}python-pymysql{% endif %}"
+  - "{% if ansible_distribution_version is version_compare('20.04', '>=') %}python3-mysql.connector{% else %}python-mysql.connector{% endif %}"
+
 mysql_db_name: db_name
 mysql_db_user: db_user
 mysql_db_pwd: "We cannot save the password into the repository. Use another variable and change pgpass.j2 accordingly. Encrypt the file that contains the variable with ansible-vault"

tasks/packages.yml

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 ---
-- name: install the mysql packages
-  apt: pkg={{ item }} state={{ mysql_pkg_state }}
-  with_items: '{{ mysql_packages_list }}'
+- name: Install the mysql or maridb server packages
+  ansible.builtin.apt:
+    pkg: "{{ item }}"
+    cache_valid_time: 1800
+    state: present
+  loop: '{% if mysql_installs_mariadb {{ +mysql_mariadb_pkgs }}{% else %}{{ mysql_packages_list }}{% endif %}'
   tags: mysql