I just installed MariaDB on an Ubuntu 17.04 server using `sudo apt install mariadb-server`, and am just not able to log in.

A `~/.my.cnf` does not exist. An empty passwort using `mysql -u root -p` did not work. 

So first, I've tried <https://www.liberiangeek.net/2014/10/reset-root-password-mariadb-centos-7/>, so I started mysql using `sudo mysqld_safe --skip-grant-tables --skip-networking &`. Afterwards, I looked at `SELECT Password FROM mysql.user`, which was empty (which seems strange for me, cause I could not log in with root and empty password). Afterwards, I've run

```
UPDATE mysql.user SET password=PASSWORD("root") WHERE user='root';
flush privileges;

```

in the console to change the password. While the password was set to `*81F5E21E35407D884A6CD4A731AEBFB6AF209E1B`, which seems correct, login just was not possible. 

I afterwards tried to get into mysql by using sudo mysql -u root like described in an answer here `https://askubuntu.com/questions/489098/unable-to-reset-root-password-of-mysql`, but there still the password is `*81F5E21E35407D884A6CD4A731AEBFB6AF209E1B`, so it does not seem like the password is the main issue. 

Nevertheless, I can not log in. The service seems to be set up right:

```
● mariadb.service - MariaDB database server
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/mariadb.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Mon 2017-05-08 17:38:44 CEST; 13min ago
  Process: 10397 ExecStartPost=/bin/sh -c systemctl unset-environment _WSREP_START_POSITION (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Process: 10394 ExecStartPost=/etc/mysql/debian-start (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Process: 10276 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c [ ! -e /usr/bin/galera_recovery ] && VAR= ||   VAR=`/usr/bin/galera_recovery`; [ $? -eq 0 ]   && systemctl set-environment _WSREP_START_POSITION=$VAR || exit 1 (code=exit
  Process: 10272 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c systemctl unset-environment _WSREP_START_POSITION (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Process: 10270 ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/install -m 755 -o mysql -g root -d /var/run/mysqld (code=exited, status=0/SUCCESS)
 Main PID: 10366 (mysqld)
   Status: "Taking your SQL requests now..."
    Tasks: 27 (limit: 4915)
   Memory: 105.6M
      CPU: 745ms
   CGroup: /system.slice/mariadb.service
           └─10366 /usr/sbin/mysqld

```

and the process is also running on the right port

```
sudo netstat -taupen | grep 10366
tcp        0      0 127.0.0.1:3306          0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      125        64559      10366/mysqld

```

but I can not login using `mysql -u root -p -P 3306` (and without the port information).

Has somebody an hint what could be wrong?