I did some more testing in throwaway containers. In each test starting point was same:
apt-get install default-mysql-server zoph sed s/bullseye/bookworm/g -i /etc/apt/sources.list apt update All cases ran apt 2.6.0. I only varied the command that followed: 1) apt-get install default-mysql-server Fails: debconf: delaying package configuration, since apt-utils is not installed (Reading database ... 16648 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../mysql-common_5.8+1.1.0_all.deb ... Unpacking mysql-common (5.8+1.1.0) over (5.8+1.0.7) ... Preparing to unpack .../mariadb-common_1%3a10.11.2-1_all.deb ... Unpacking mariadb-common (1:10.11.2-1) over (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Preparing to unpack .../default-mysql-server_1.1.0_all.deb ... Unpacking default-mysql-server (1.1.0) over (1.0.7) ... dpkg: mariadb-client-10.5: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: mariadb-server-10.5 depends on mariadb-client-10.5 (>= 1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2). dbconfig-mysql depends on default-mysql-client | virtual-mysql-client; however: Package default-mysql-client is not installed. Package virtual-mysql-client is not installed. Package mariadb-client-10.5 which provides virtual-mysql-client is to be removed. (Reading database ... 16648 files and directories currently installed.) Removing mariadb-client-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Removing mariadb-client-core-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... dpkg: mariadb-server-10.5: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: zoph depends on default-mysql-server | virtual-mysql-server; however: Package default-mysql-server is not configured yet. Package virtual-mysql-server is not installed. Package mariadb-server-10.5 which provides virtual-mysql-server is to be removed. Removing mariadb-server-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Stopping MariaDB database server: mariadbd failed! invoke-rc.d: initscript mariadb, action "stop" failed. dpkg: error processing package mariadb-server-10.5 (--remove): installed mariadb-server-10.5 package pre-removal script subprocess returned error exit status 1 dpkg: too many errors, stopping Errors were encountered while processing: mariadb-server-10.5 Processing was halted because there were too many errors. E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) # apt --fix-broken install mariadb-client Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done You might want to run 'apt --fix-broken install' to correct these. The following packages have unmet dependencies: default-mysql-server : Depends: mariadb-server but it is not going to be installed mariadb-client : Depends: mariadb-client-core (>= 1:10.11.2-1) but it is not going to be installed Depends: libssl3 (>= 3.0.0) but it is not going to be installed Breaks: mariadb-server-10.5 but 1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2 is to be installed mariadb-server-10.5 : Depends: mariadb-client-10.5 (>= 1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) but it is not installable E: Unmet dependencies. Try 'apt --fix-broken install' with no packages (or specify a solution). 2) apt upgrade Passes: Everything is unpacked and installed, and MariaDB server restart is among the last things that happen and is successful. Upgrade of default-mysql-server was postponed and starts only when running 'apt full-upgrade'. 3) apt full-upgrade Fails: ... Preparing to unpack .../default-mysql-server_1.1.0_all.deb ... Unpacking default-mysql-server (1.1.0) over (1.0.7) ... dpkg: mariadb-client-10.5: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: mariadb-server-10.5 depends on mariadb-client-10.5 (>= 1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2). dbconfig-mysql depends on default-mysql-client | virtual-mysql-client; however: Package default-mysql-client is not installed. Package virtual-mysql-client is not installed. Package mariadb-client-10.5 which provides virtual-mysql-client is to be removed. (Reading database ... 18487 files and directories currently installed.) Removing mariadb-client-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Removing mariadb-client-core-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... dpkg: mariadb-server-10.5: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: zoph depends on default-mysql-server | virtual-mysql-server; however: Package default-mysql-server is not configured yet. Package virtual-mysql-server is not installed. Package mariadb-server-10.5 which provides virtual-mysql-server is to be removed. Removing mariadb-server-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Stopping MariaDB database server: mariadbd failed! invoke-rc.d: initscript mariadb, action "stop" failed. dpkg: error processing package mariadb-server-10.5 (--remove): installed mariadb-server-10.5 package pre-removal script subprocess returned error exit status 1 dpkg: too many errors, stopping Errors were encountered while processing: mariadb-server-10.5 Processing was halted because there were too many errors. E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) 4) apt dist-upgrade Fails: Seems to do almost the same as full-upgrade (175 vs 174 packages updates). Preparing to unpack .../default-mysql-server_1.1.0_all.deb ... Unpacking default-mysql-server (1.1.0) over (1.0.7) ... dpkg: mariadb-client-10.5: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: mariadb-server-10.5 depends on mariadb-client-10.5 (>= 1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2). dbconfig-mysql depends on default-mysql-client | virtual-mysql-client; however: Package default-mysql-client is not installed. Package virtual-mysql-client is not installed. Package mariadb-client-10.5 which provides virtual-mysql-client is to be removed. (Reading database ... 18489 files and directories currently installed.) Removing mariadb-client-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Removing mariadb-client-core-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... dpkg: mariadb-server-10.5: dependency problems, but removing anyway as you requested: zoph depends on default-mysql-server | virtual-mysql-server; however: Package default-mysql-server is not configured yet. Package virtual-mysql-server is not installed. Package mariadb-server-10.5 which provides virtual-mysql-server is to be removed. Removing mariadb-server-10.5 (1:10.5.19-0+deb11u2) ... Stopping MariaDB database server: mariadbd failed! invoke-rc.d: initscript mariadb, action "stop" failed. dpkg: error processing package mariadb-server-10.5 (--remove): installed mariadb-server-10.5 package pre-removal script subprocess returned error exit status 1 dpkg: too many errors, stopping Errors were encountered while processing: mariadb-server-10.5 Processing was halted because there were too many errors. E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1) The new mariadb-server breaks/replaces on mariadb-server-10.5, and mariadb-client breaks/replaces on mariadb-client-10.5. I am not sure what to debug next.