MariaDB instead of Mysql?

I generally use the latest Xampp/php version available for local development work to get a very early warning of any future ZC issues as php steadily gets tightened-up, so regularly export/import my varias dbs across different Xampp installations.

The latest and future Xampp uses mariaDB instead of mysql.

There are a couple of threads already regarding issues with mariaDB, maybe...
In fact the latest Xampp to be released with mariaDB was quickly followed by a bug-fix release.

While I don't intend to upgrade now from the last version of Xampp with mysql until it confirmed as a non-event, do any of the cognoscenti that inhabit this forum have any comments on this tendency of replacing mysql (that appears to be not just restricted to Xampp)?

i.e. Any other issues that people have come across with this?

While I would not consider myself a "cognoscenti" on the subject, I have also been seeing the same trend... Including some *nix OSes installing MariaDB as the default SQL Server (if using the "server role" tools during installation).

I am not using XAMPP when testing under MariaDB or MySQL, but using the binary releases in various *nix repositories (and on Windows the official binary packages directly from MariaDB or Oracle).

Zen Cart 1.5.x has continued to work without any issues for me under MariaDB (including installation). When testing I have stuck with the default storage engine configured as InnoDB (default changed in MariaDB 10.0.9 to XtraDB. In MySQL 5.5 / 5.6 and MariaDB 5.5 - 10.0.8 InnoDB was the default).

Of course if STRICT (or certain other) sql modes are enabled, the same Zen Cart patches required for MySQL are required for MariaDB.

Only "gotcha" I've noticed so far is the two include support for different database storage engines (and do not always create fully binary compatible data stores)... So if one needs to be able to "switch" back and forth, best to make sure one uses a database storage engine supported by both (such as InnoDB) and keep backups via SQL exports (not binary backups).

v1.5.5-beta and v1.6.0-pre-alpha appear to install and operate fine using MariaDB on Ubuntu 14.04

Using ZC155e, my hosting and local server has been on maria for a long time now, with no issues whatsoever.