More information: In the files (mariadb/mysql)-server.X.X.postrm there is a section that does the removal and it looks like this:
# # - Do NOT purge logs or data if another mysql-sever* package is installed (#307473) # - Remove the mysql user only after all his owned files are purged. # if [ "$1" = "purge" -a ! \( -x /usr/sbin/mysqld -o -L /usr/sbin/mysqld \) ]; then # we remove the mysql user only after all his owned files are purged rm -f /var/log/mysql.{log,err}{,.0,.[1234567].gz} rm -rf /var/log/mysql db_input high mysql-server-10.0/postrm_remove_databases || true db_go || true db_get mysql-server-10.0/postrm_remove_databases || true if [ "$RET" = "true" ]; then # never remove the debian.cnf when the databases are still existing # else we ran into big trouble on the next install! rm -f /etc/mysql/debian.cnf rm -rf /var/lib/mysql rm -rf /var/run/mysqld # this directory is created by the init script, don't leave behind userdel mysql || true fi fi Should this perhaps be re-written in some way? Sources: http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-mysql/mysql-5.5.git/tree/debian/mysql-server-5.5.postrm http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-mysql/mysql-5.6.git/tree/debian/mysql-server-5.6.postrm http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-mysql/mariadb-5.5.git/tree/debian/mariadb-server-5.5.postrm http://anonscm.debian.org/cgit/pkg-mysql/mariadb-10.0.git/tree/debian/mariadb-server-10.0.postrm -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-bugs-dist-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org