Here is an update:  In /var/lib/ ,  I have these four directories:

mysql
mysql-5.7
mysql-files
mysql-keyring

In the mysql-5.7 directory, I have found what appears to be my dozen or so databases that I created.  So yes, my data appears it was retained.  I have tarballed the data and am uploading it to an external device.  In the meantime, I am next working on bringing my data back in a way where an SQL server can see it.

It doesn't even have to be a robust, long-term solution.  I was intending on switching it over on Monday.  I don't really care if it only sort of works, I just need to extract the data as an SQL file and go from there.

Thanks,

Rich

On 5/27/2017 at 4:26 PM, rich.greder@hushmail.com wrote:
>
>Hello,
>
>Guys, I did a bad one.  I only had one server remaining that still
>had mysql installed and thinking I was logged into my laptop's
>console, I executed apt-get install mariadb-server.
>
>I wasn't on my laptop.  I was logged into a virtual hosting server
>and knocked eight sites offline including my wiki of all my HOWTO
>documents ironically, describing how to install mariadb-server on
>various platforms.
>
>I didn't notice anything was amiss until I saw a comment that it
>was uninstalling mysql (which I knew wasn't on my laptop)
>
>I was able to log in using my old root password, but all my
>databases were gone.
>
>Is there any hope for recovering the databases as they were
>earlier today?
>
>Rich
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~maria-discuss
>Post to     : maria-discuss@lists.launchpad.net
>Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~maria-discuss
>More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp


_______________________________________________
Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~maria-discuss
Post to     : maria-discuss@lists.launchpad.net
Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~maria-discuss
More help   : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp