Firebird is a cross-platform SQL-database, forked in 2000 from Borland's Interbase RDBMS. These are quick instructions how to get started with Fedora / CentOS system.
Good to know
- binaries have been renamed with postfix -fb to avoid conflict with ODBC-binaries.
- firebird comes with default database employee.
- server config file is /etc/firebird/firebid.conf
- all databases reside physically in /var/lib/firebird/data directory
- on CentOS /etc/init.d/firebird-superserver daemon arguments (-daemon -forever -pidfile) are in wrong order.
- cli interpreter comes in server package, there is no traditional client-server split/subpackages.
- usernames and passwords are truncated to 8 characters, masterkey becomes masterke, both are valid.
- DSN syntax:
- absolute file name at server filesystem.
- <hostname>:<database> where db-file mapping is in server /etc/firebird/aliases file.
Packager's notes:
# cat /usr/share/doc/$(rpm -q --qf="%{NAME}-%{VERSION}" firebird-filesystem)/README.Fedora
Installation
There are three versions of Firebird server software. You want superserver.
# yum install -y firebird-superserver # service firebird-superserver start
Changing the admin password
# gsec -user sysdba -pass masterkey -mo sysdba -pw newpwd1
Creating a user
# gsec -user sysdba -password masterkey add dude -pw dudepwd1
Connecting to a database
A localhost database:
# isql-fb -u sysdba -p masterkey employee SQL> SHOW USERS; # SYSDBA SQL> SHOW VERSION; ISQL Version: LI-V2.5.5.26952 Firebird 2.5 Server version: Firebird/linux AMD64 (access method), version "LI-V2.5.5.26952 Firebird 2.5" Firebird/linux AMD64 (remote server), version "LI-V2.5.5.26952 Firebird 2.5/tcp (example.com)/P12" Firebird/linux AMD64 (remote interface), version "LI-V2.5.5.26952 Firebird 2.5/tcp (example.com)/P12" on disk structure version 11.2 SQL> QUIT; #
A remote host database, with aliases mapping:
# isql-fb -u sysdba -p masterkey example.com:employee
Creating a database
There is no need to connect any database to create a new database into server. When CREATE DATABASE is entered, intrepreter will instantly connect to the new database.
# isql-fb -u sysdba -p masterkey
SQL> CREATE DATABASE '/var/lib/firebird/data/foobar.fdb' PAGE_SIZE 8192 DEFAULT CHARACTER SET UTF8;
SQL> SHOW DATABASE;
Database: /var/lib/firebird/data/foobar.fdb
Owner: SYSDBA
PAGE_SIZE 8192
Number of DB pages allocated = 164
Sweep interval = 20000
Forced Writes are ON
Transaction - oldest = 1
Transaction - oldest active = 2
Transaction - oldest snapshot = 2
Transaction - Next = 6
ODS = 11.2
Default Character set: UTF8
SQL>
Removing a database
Removing a database, deleting all its content - must be done in connected state and can be done when being connected to the database being removed.
CONNECT foobar; DROP DATABASE foobar; quit
This also removes the actual database file from filesystem.
Backup
# gbak -b -v -user sysdba -pass masterkey example.com:foobar /var/tmp/foobar.fbk
Backups are in binary format, not text.
Finally
Change that sysdba password.