Arch Linux User Repository

If the SQL Server does not start and the error is "Unable to set persistent hive root", create a root path for the SQLPAL registry hive:

mkdir /var/opt/mssql/hk && chown mssql:mssql /var/opt/mssql/hk

This current package is MSSQLServer2022.

For anyone who needs to set the compatibility level of a db to migrate to an older version, see this article:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/statements/alter-database-transact-sql-compatibility-level?view=sql-server-ver16

NOTES ON libldap 2.4:

Yes there is a newer version in the official repos but the binaries do not run without this version which is listed in the dependencies by Microsoft.

If you have a problem compiling libldapV2.4, go and ask on that package page, not here.

You can get libldap V2.4 here from this AUR package:

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/libldap24

Unable to set persistent hive root can also mean you run sqlservr with root (like sudo strace...) and the ownership of some directories was changed in /var/opt/mssql, so check that.

Latest SQL Server 2025 packages are currently available at https://packages.microsoft.com/rhel/9.0/mssql-server-2025/Packages/m/ and https://packages.microsoft.com/ubuntu/22.04/mssql-server-2025/pool/main/m/mssql-server/

These require openssl-3.0 and libldap-2.5.

There is no AUR package for a legacy openssl-3.0 build (undefined symbol: EVP_md2, version OPENSSL_3.0.0).

There are preview versions available for more recent Ubuntu/Red Hat, waiting for a final releases for modern rhel/ubuntu version which will hopefully work with OpenSSL legacy module.

Alternative would be to make openssl-3.0 build right now.

If the SQL Server does not start and the error is "Unable to set persistent hive root", create a root path for the SQLPAL registry hive:

mkdir /var/opt/mssql/hk && chown mssql:mssql /var/opt/mssql/hk

For anyone trying to use this package, here are the steps to install and setup the whole thing:

Step 1: Install this package, I like to use yay so the command would be:

$ yay -Syy mssql-server

Step 2: Execute the Microsoft SQL Server one time setup using mssql-conf and fill whatever it asks:

# Stuff it will ask you:
#  - Select option 2 for development version
#  - Accept terms and conditions
#  - Select your language if prompted
#  - Set admin user "sa" password (equivalent to root/admin user)

$ sudo /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup

Step 3: The service should now be up and running, so let's check it out:

$ systemctl status mssql-server.service

Step 4: Finally, use a Microsoft SQL Server compatible client or GUI to try to connect and do your stuff with your new database. I like DBeaver, so here is the install command in case you want to use it too:

# if you like to install using pacman:
sudo pacman -Syy dbeaver

# or, if you prefer to install using pamac:
sudo pamac install dbeaver

Step 5: If you decided to use DBeaver like me here is a small step by step guide to connect to your new DB as a bonus:

a. Database -> New Database Connection
b. Scroll down and look for the Microsoft SQL Server logo, click on it to select it and click Next.
c. Fill the connection info:
       i. The hostname leave it as "localhost".
      ii. Port should be 1433.
     iii. Database/schema leave it as "master".
      iv. Username should be "sa".
       v. Fill the password you created on "Step 2" when setup your DB server.
d. Hit Finish
e. Now your server connection should show up in the left sidebar with the name "master".
f. Click on the arrow in the left of "master" and it will prompt you with a one time Download drivers window.
g. Hit Download/Next and it will download the drivers for you
h. Success! Now you can expand your db to navigate and do whatever you need to do.

You're welcome! :)

Hey, I have installed MSSQL. When I am trying to run the server with systemctl, it gives an error:

× mssql-server.service - Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/mssql-server.service; enabled; preset: disabled
)

 Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Wed 2024-05-15 09:14:59 CEST; 3s ago

   Duration: 2.793s

       Docs: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux

    Process: 8606 ExecStart=/opt/mssql/bin/sqlservr (code=exited, status=18)

   Main PID: 8606 (code=exited, status=18)

        CPU: 3.775s

May 15 09:14:59 archlinux systemd[1]: mssql-server.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.

May 15 09:14:59 archlinux systemd[1]: mssql-server.service: Start request repeated too quickly.

May 15 09:14:59 archlinux systemd[1]: mssql-server.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.

May 15 09:14:59 archlinux systemd[1]: Failed to start Microsoft SQL Server Database Engine.

May 15 09:14:59 archlinux systemd[1]: mssql-server.service: Consumed 3.775s CPU time, 664.6M memory peak, 0B memory swap peak.

I can't install mssql-server because libldap24 giving this error:

checking for compatible POSIX regex... no configure: error: broken POSIX regex! ==> ERROR: A failure occurred in build(). Aborting...

I tried to download and install libldap24 from aur first but its returning same error

mssql-server 16.0.4115.5-1 runs on linux kernel 6.8.1-arch1-1 big thanks !

Current link to download the rpm package https://pmc-geofence.trafficmanager.net/rhel/8/mssql-server-2022/Packages/m/mssql-server-16.0.4115.5-2.x86_64.rpm?geofence=true

Source seems to be down? For now I am using the actual link from packages.microsoft.com