Installing Firebird on Xfce

[Nick Vaughan]

Is there any reason why Firebird 5.0 would not install onto Linux Mint Xfce?

The ultimate aim is to run Firebird with LibreOffice Base and/or another database front-end.

Background
I have a machine with limited resources (Acer Aspire cloudbook with a Celeron N3060 processor, 2Gb of RAM and 32Gb of solid-state disk, of which 14Gb is free). I appreciate that it may not be possible to run Firebird with such limited resources.

Given the deliberately-restricted nature of Xfce I anticipate that I need to install through the Xfce Terminal (On a Reddit chat someone mentions dnfdragora and I have no idea how I might invoke this program.).

Following the guidance at https://firebirdsql.org/en/server-packages/ I've download the package for Linux x64 and run the extract process in Thunar on the downloaded file.

The downloaded file is "Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64.tar.gz".

The files produced out of the extract process are in a folder called "Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64".

The folders and files immediately below that folder are
buildroot.tar.gz    (folder)
install.sh          (file)
manifest.txt        (file)

To install the database I'm opening the folder under root and then opening a XFCE Terminal window.

The guidance often says that these three commands are used most frequently
./configure.
make.
sudo make install

As you can see from the list of folders and files above I don't have a configure folder and so get an error message when I issue the first command.

There is an "install.sh" file and Tbumar tells me that the Permissions include "Allow this file to run as an executable".

From the Xfce terminal I enter "sh ./install.sh" and you can see the result below.

root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LO Databases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64# sh ./install.sh

Firebird 5.0.0.1306-0.x64 Installation

Press Enter to start installation or ^C to abort
./install.sh: 648: test: /home/nick/Documents/LO: unexpected operator
Install aborted: The command test -e /home/nick/Documents/LO Databases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64/manifest.txt
                 failed with error code 2.
/
I'm interpreting this as meaning the the processor cannot find the "test" command. If this is correct then is there any way that I can find that command?

As I final comment I'm happy with Xfce as it provides a nice lightweight operating system that allows me to keep an more-portable machine going with most of the features that I need. If the response is that either the machine or Xfce simply don't have the resources to run Firebird then that won't be a huge concern.

Thank you for any help that can be provided.

[Virgo Pärna]

On 14.03.2024 12:30, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LO
> Databases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64# sh ./install.sh
>
> Firebird 5.0.0.1306-0.x64 Installation
>
> Press Enter to start installation or ^C to abort
> ./install.sh: 648: test: /home/nick/Documents/LO: unexpected operator
> Install aborted: The command test -e /home/nick/Documents/LO
> Databases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64/manifest.txt
>                  failed with error code 2.

Looks to me, like it cannot handle directory name with space in it...

--
Virgo Pärna
Gaiasoft OÜ
vi...@gaiasoft.ee

[Nick Vaughan]

Virgo,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

If the test command cannot handle directory names that include spaces then I may be stuck as this is the directory name created out of the Thumar extract process.

I may have to consider renaming the directory before running the shell script and this doesn't feel correct for a standard Firebird installation.

I'll have a think.

Thanks anyway.

Nick

[Mark Rotteveel]

On 14/03/2024 13:05, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> Virgo,
>
> Thank you for your prompt reply.
>
> If the test command cannot handle directory names that include spaces
> then I may be stuck as this is the directory name created out of the
> Thumar extract process.
>
> I may have to consider renaming the directory before running the shell
> script and this doesn't feel correct for a standard Firebird installation.
>
> I'll have a think.

Just extract it to a different directory. IMHO, it doesn't make sense
you're extracting to a directory called "Documents/LO Database" (which I
guess is used to store LibreOffice databases); it doesn't seem logical
for storing the binary installer of Firebird.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Virgo Pärna]

On 14.03.2024 14:05, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> If the test command cannot handle directory names that include spaces
> then I may be stuck as this is the directory name created out of the
> Thumar extract process.

Question is not in the test command. Shell requires proper quoting to
parse it correctly.
And I doubt, that extraction created directory with space in it.
Problem directory is:
"/home/nick/Documents/LO Databases"
into which you extracted Firebird.

[Mark Rotteveel]

On 14/03/2024 13:08, 'Mark Rotteveel' via firebird-support wrote:
> Just extract it to a different directory. IMHO, it doesn't make sense
> you're extracting to a directory called "Documents/LO Database" (which I
> guess is used to store LibreOffice databases); it doesn't seem logical
> for storing the binary installer of Firebird.

That said, this does sounds like a bug in the installer that it can't
handle being called from a path containing a space.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Nick Vaughan]

Mark,

Thanks. As you have identified "LO Databases" is for LibreOffice and so the Firebird installation can be moved.

If I have found a bug then I hope that this has helped the development of the software.

Regards

Nick

[Nick Vaughan]

Virgo,

Thanks. I've replied to Mark on this and plan to move the files to a new folder.

Regards

Nick

[Nick Vaughan]

Just to let people know I removed the space from the "LO Databases" folder and tried again. The response was

root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64# sh ./install.sh

Firebird 5.0.0.1306-0.x64 Installation

Press Enter to start installation or ^C to abort

Please install required library 'tommath' before firebird, after it repeat firebird install
root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64#

I suspect that the Xfce operating system is too restrictive to support a Firebird installation.

Thanks for your help.

Nick

[Mark Rotteveel]

On 14/03/2024 13:27, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> Just to let people know I removed the space from the "LO Databases"
> folder and tried again. The response was
> root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64# sh ./install.sh
>
> Firebird 5.0.0.1306-0.x64 Installation
>
> Press Enter to start installation or ^C to abort
> Please install required library 'tommath' before firebird, after it
> repeat firebird install
> root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64#
>
> I suspect that the Xfce operating system is too restrictive to support a
> Firebird installation.

No, it means you need to install the tommath (or maybe libtommath)
library (probably with apt) and try again.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Virgo Pärna]

On 14.03.2024 14:27, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> Press Enter to start installation or ^C to abort
> Please install required library 'tommath' before firebird, after it
> repeat firebird install
> root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64#
>
> I suspect that the Xfce operating system is too restrictive to support a
> Firebird installation.

XFce is not operating system, it is desktop enviroment. You said
yourself, that operating system is Mint Linux. You need to install
required dependencies. That would be needed in any version of Linux.

Likes:
sudo apt install libtommath1

[Dimitry Sibiryakov]

Nick Vaughan wrote 14.03.2024 13:27:
> I suspect that the Xfce operating system is too restrictive to support a
> Firebird installation.

Why you just don't install Firebird from the package? I see
firebird3.0-server package available in Mint repositories.

--
WBR, SD.

[Mark Rotteveel]

Why would they install Firebird 3.0 if they can install Firebird 5.0?

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Virgo Pärna]

On 14.03.2024 14:34, 'Dimitry Sibiryakov' via firebird-support wrote:
>
>   Why you just don't install Firebird from the package? I see
> firebird3.0-server package available in Mint repositories.
>

Probably because he wants Firebird 5.0.

[Nick Vaughan]

You suggested installing from a package. If I have found one then I would. I couldn't find it on the Firebird site. If there is one then that may be a better option. Are you able to send me a link?

Thanks

[Dimitry Sibiryakov]

Nick Vaughan wrote 14.03.2024 13:43:
> If I have found one then I would. I couldn't find it on the Firebird site. If
> there is one then that may be a better option. Are you able to send me a link?

You must search on Mint site, not Firebird one:
https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/firebird3.0-server

--
WBR, SD.

[Nick Vaughan]

As suggested I found that libtommath package installed it and tried again.

This was the result

I then downloaded https://community.linuxmint.com/software/view/libtommath-dev
I then ran sh ./install.sh with this result
root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64# sh ./install.sh

Firebird 5.0.0.1306-0.x64 Installation

Press Enter to start installation or ^C to abort

Extracting install data
Please enter new password for SYSDBA user: XXXXXXXXXXXX
root@nick-Aspire-one-1-131:/home/nick/Documents/LODatabases/Firebird-5.0.0.1306-0-linux-x64#

On the topic of version then I'm not too bothered which version I use, although it would,be good to know that I could use newer versions as they get released.

Having said this I'm still keen to have a look at installing a package and so will have a look at the Mint site.

Thanks

[Nick Vaughan]

Thank you for that link. Using it to install Firebird 3.0 I got this result
installArchives() failed: Preconfiguring packages ...
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously unselected package firebird3.0-common-doc.
(Reading database ...
(Reading database ... 5%%
(Reading database ... 10%%
(Reading database ... 15%%
(Reading database ... 20%%
(Reading database ... 25%%
(Reading database ... 30%%
(Reading database ... 35%%
(Reading database ... 40%%
(Reading database ... 45%%
(Reading database ... 50%%
(Reading database ... 55%%
(Reading database ... 60%%
(Reading database ... 65%%
(Reading database ... 70%%
(Reading database ... 75%%
(Reading database ... 80%%
(Reading database ... 85%%
(Reading database ... 90%%
(Reading database ... 95%%
(Reading database ... 100%%
(Reading database ... 563724 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../0-firebird3.0-common-doc_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking firebird3.0-common-doc (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package firebird3.0-common.
Preparing to unpack .../1-firebird3.0-common_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_all.deb ...
Unpacking firebird3.0-common (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libfbclient2:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../2-libfbclient2_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libfbclient2:amd64 (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libib-util:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../3-libib-util_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libib-util:amd64 (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package firebird3.0-server-core:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../4-firebird3.0-server-core_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking firebird3.0-server-core:amd64 (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package firebird3.0-utils.
Preparing to unpack .../5-firebird3.0-utils_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking firebird3.0-utils (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package firebird3.0-server.
Preparing to unpack .../6-firebird3.0-server_3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking firebird3.0-server (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up firebird3.0-common-doc (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up firebird3.0-common (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libib-util:amd64 (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up libfbclient2:amd64 (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up firebird3.0-utils (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up firebird3.0-server-core:amd64 (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
Setting up firebird3.0-server (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
adduser: The user `firebird' already exists, but is not a system user. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing package firebird3.0-server (--configure):
 installed firebird3.0-server package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.35-0ubuntu3.6) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 firebird3.0-server
Setting up firebird3.0-server (3.0.8.33535.ds4-1ubuntu2) ...
adduser: The user `firebird' already exists, but is not a system user. Exiting.
dpkg: error processing package firebird3.0-server (--configure):
 installed firebird3.0-server package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Errors were encountered while processing:

My guess is that I now have FB 5.0 going and so this installation of FB3.0 failed. I'll have a look.

Thanks for the link to the Linux Mint software site, which I will explore some more.

Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Regards

Nick

[Dimitry Sibiryakov]

Nick Vaughan wrote 14.03.2024 13:53:
> My guess is that I now have FB 5.0 going and so this installation of FB3.0
> failed. I'll have a look.
>
> Thanks for the link to the Linux Mint software site, which I will explore some more.

You don't need the site. The site is for those who don't have Mint installed.
You can use standard GUI package manager which is installed by default. Just
look at Start menu a little deeper.

--
WBR, SD.

[Nick Vaughan]

SD,

Thanks. I'm looking at the Synaptic Package Manager. This shows Fireball 3.0 as installed as version 3.0.8.33535.s4-1ubunbtu2. Going back to the error message from the attempt to install from the package I now need to sort out the issue of the 'firebird' user.

Regards

Nick

[Nick Vaughan]

As an update then after reading all the contributions I re-installed Linux Mint and Xfce and then from the Synaptic Package Manager installed Firebird 3.0.

Despite ticking the options to install the documentation and the examples I couldn't then file any files under /opt, which is where the Firebird Quick-Start Guide suggests that they should be.

Even so I thought that I would try and create a database using isql-fb. Even when opening the Xfce Terminal as a root user and then doing 'sudo su' within the Terminal I'm still being told by isql-fb 'Permission denied'.

I'm probably going to abandon this.

Thank you for your thoughts anyway.

[Virgo Pärna]

On 14.03.2024 22:14, Nick Vaughan wrote:
>
> Despite ticking the options to install the documentation and the
> examples I couldn't then file any files under /opt, which is where the
> Firebird Quick-Start Guide suggests that they should be.

/opt directory is only used for things installed outside package
management (so original 5.0 install put things there). if you install
install package, then it is put under /usr/share/doc/.

>
> Even so I thought that I would try and create a database using isql-fb.
> Even when opening the Xfce Terminal as a root user and then doing 'sudo
> su' within the Terminal I'm still being told by isql-fb 'Permission denied'.
>

Unlike Windows (where Firebird server runs by default with system
privileges (which means, it can write and read most things), linux
Firebird is run as user firebird group firebird and can only read/write
files that are writable by that user/group. That is why databases are
usually somewhere under /var/lib/firebird

[Nick Vaughan]

@Virgo,

Thank you for your explanation. If this was in the Quick-Start Guide then I missed it. It not in Section 4.1, although this does say that locations may vary by distribution. Does the Quick-Start Guide need some more words? If someone can give me the source document and some ideas I'm happy to try and draft something.

Can you please say how I do get access to these databases (or point me to the right piece of documentation)?

Thanks

[Mark Rotteveel]

On 14/03/2024 21:14, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> As an update then after reading all the contributions I re-installed
> Linux Mint and Xfce and then from the Synaptic Package Manager installed
> Firebird 3.0.
>
> Despite ticking the options to install the documentation and the
> examples I couldn't then file any files under /opt, which is where the
> Firebird Quick-Start Guide suggests that they should be.

The Quick Start Guide is based on the installer provided by the Firebird
project. If you install using the package manager of your Linux
distribution, it uses its own installer and (very likely) uses a
different layout of files.

> Even so I thought that I would try and create a database using isql-fb.
> Even when opening the Xfce Terminal as a root user and then doing 'sudo
> su' within the Terminal I'm still being told by isql-fb 'Permission denied'.

Because things depend on where you put the file, and if you use embedded
mode or connect through the server, etc. If you use embedded mode, then
the access rights of *your* user applies. If you connect through the
server, the access rights of the *service* user (e.g. the user firebird)
applies.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Mark Rotteveel]

On 15/03/2024 09:27, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> @Virgo,
>
> Thank you for your explanation. If this was in the Quick-Start Guide
> then I missed it. It not in Section 4.1, although this does say that
> locations may vary by distribution. Does the Quick-Start Guide need some
> more words? If someone can give me the source document and some ideas
> I'm happy to try and draft something.
>
> Can you please say how I do get access to these databases (or point me
> to the right piece of documentation)?

You can submit pull requests against
https://github.com/FirebirdSQL/firebird-documentation (the Firebird 5
Quick Start Guide is in src/docs/asciidoc/en/firebirddocs/qsg5, Firebird
3 in ../qsg3).

That said, I will not accept changes that document file locations for a
specific Linux distribution in that document, because it documents the
locations as used by the installer of the Firebird project.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Nick Vaughan]

Mark,

Thank you for your help on this and you may have gone some way to answering my questions in another conversation.

From what you have said here is looks as though I need to investigate more the difference between "embedded" and "server" modes. I'm still not sure how I would find the firebird password if I need it (unless this is the same as the SYSDBA password).

Thanks

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[Mark Rotteveel]

On 15/03/2024 15:01, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> From what you have said here is looks as though I need to investigate
> more the difference between "embedded" and "server" modes.

Embedded means that application loads the Firebird database engine and
uses that to read the database in the same process. Server mode is
application connects (using TCP/IP) to the server running on localhost
(or on a remote server), and the database is accessed by the Firebird
server.

Since Firebird 3, it is basically, if you only provide a filename, then
you're probably using Firebird embedded (this is not 100% guaranteed,
for example if the client library can't load the database engine, it
will try to connect to the server on localhost).

So if you connect using '/some/path/to/database.fdb', you're probably
using embedded. If you're connecting using an URL like one of the
following, you're connecting through the server:

- localhost:/some/path/to/database.fdb
- localhost/3050:/some/path/to/database.fdb
- inet://localhost//some/path/to/database.fdb
- inet://localhost:3050//some/path/to/database.fdb
- inet:///some/path/to/database.fdb
- (and variants with inet4:// or inet6://, or a host name other than
localhost)

> I'm still not
> sure how I would find the firebird password if I need it (unless this is
> the same as the SYSDBA password).

You shouldn't, because that is the OS user for running the Firebird
service. It probably doesn't even have a password! You generally do need
to add yourself to the group called firebird if you want to use embedded
connections.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel

[Nick Vaughan]

/"If you install using the package manager of your Linux

distribution, it uses its own installer and (very likely) uses a

different layout of files. "

Just to let you know that following this comment I installed Xubuntu on the same machine. From what I can se the placement of files is the same and there still isn't an employee.fdb.

When I go into isql-fb and try to connect the error message is

"SQL> connect localhost:employee user sysdba password masterkey;
Statement failed, SQLSTATE = 08006
Unable to complete network request to host "localhost".
-Failed to establish a connection."

I'm having a look at the Ubuntu and other sites.

As I would plan to raise another Conversation if required how do I close this oen (or does it happen automatically after six months of no updates?)?

Thanks

[Mark Rotteveel]

On 17/03/2024 09:08, Nick Vaughan wrote:
> /"If you install using the package manager of your Linux
> distribution, it uses its own installer and (very likely) uses a
> different layout of files. "
>
> Just to let you know that following this comment I installed Xubuntu on
> the same machine. From what I can se the placement of files is the same
> and there still isn't an employee.fdb.
>
> When I go into isql-fb and try to connect the error message is
> "SQL> connect localhost:employee user sysdba password masterkey;
> Statement failed, SQLSTATE = 08006
> Unable to complete network request to host "localhost".
> -Failed to establish a connection."
>
> I'm having a look at the Ubuntu and other sites.

Linux Mint, and Xubuntu and Ubuntu all use the same package for Firebird
(ultimately derived from Debian, IIRC).

> As I would plan to raise another Conversation if required how do I close
> this oen (or does it happen automatically after six months of no updates?)?

You don't need to close a conversation.

Mark
--
Mark Rotteveel