Base - connecting to Firebird database (w/o ODBC)

michal.ptak · August 14, 2020, 10:57am

I have just installed LibreOffice 7. I am trying to set a connection to a remote FB database up. In Base (Database, Properties) I used “hostname:database” first. Ofc I got the error that my username and password are not defined.
How (where) do I specify username and password for a connection?

I guess it could go into the connection string somehow but I cannot get it working, anything else than plain “hostname:database” leads to an error from which I get that the format of the connection string is not recognized.

Ratslinger · August 14, 2020, 3:54pm

Hello,

First to the user/pw. This is a checkbox when first creating the Base file. The setting may be found through the main Base menu Edit->Database and either Properties... or Connection Type. You should be able to modify it there. A quick test with PostgreSQL worked. JDBC/ODBC Example (no server connection for SDBC):

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Now you mention Firebird Server using ODBC. Yes, you state w/o but I’ll bring this up for all looking here. Have had a multitude of problems with this type of connection (as other have had also). Can eventually get it to work except that most functions using the Tables section in Base causes a crash of Base. Have found no fix for this except instead to use FlameRobin for this purpose. JDBC does not seem to have any problems. For some additional reference on this see the comments in my answer in this post → Firebird database - alter column datatype using SQL after import from calc spreadsheet - errors

michal.ptak · August 14, 2020, 5:19pm

Hello, thanks for the answer. I have gone through the database creation (setup) process after reading it and I have found out:

When I choose “connect to database” and select “PostgreSQL”, the window on the right is showing 4 steps, 3rd being the authentication. With “Firebird” I only get 3 steps (without the auth).

I can connect to the database directly with IBExpert and I thought I could try it with the Base. I do not work with the ODBC but I do know that it can do stuff… and I thought someone might expect the ODBC involved. I wanted to let people know the exact opposite - no ODBC involved.

Ratslinger · August 14, 2020, 5:31pm

@michal.ptak,

You are using an incorrect connection type. Using Firebird File is an SDBC local connection without any server. It is akin to the embedded database becoming external. For use with a server you must use a JDBC or ODBC connection.

BTW, it is always better to mention what connector type you are using and not specifying the negative - not using ODBC. There are more choices remaining than one.

mariosv · August 14, 2020, 6:37pm

Hi @Ratslinger, maybe I’m wrong but with Firebird File (sdbc) you connect as client to an external Firebird Server, Not it is so what happen with all sdbc?, I think sdbc drivers are for that.

michal.ptak · August 14, 2020, 7:04pm

Perhaps I made a mistake expecting that Base would do the native communication with the FB server like special (single-engine) tools (like IBExpert). I go for ODBC then. Thanks for your help.

Ratslinger · August 14, 2020, 8:21pm

@mariosv,

Just spent the last hour or so on a different system trying to get SDBC & Firebird working. Got password prompt by manually changing content.xml file (no other way). Still not able to connect. May have incorrect string. May try again when more time available.

@michal.ptak,

Did try some of the strings from IBExpert but no success. I would not use ODBC (see answer). JDBC works OK.

mariosv · August 15, 2020, 8:02pm

Maybe a matter of Firebird version server, sdbc it’s for 3.x, like there are a lot of programs using yet 2.x, if Firebird version it’s 2.x then an ODBC or JDBC drives must be used. Firebird: Server Packages

Ratslinger · August 15, 2020, 8:13pm

I have been using 3.x server and no luck connecting. This is in addition to needing to set content.xml manually.

ODBC, at least in 3.x, is pitiful. Full of pitfalls.

michal.ptak · August 17, 2020, 5:26am

In my case, the server is still 2.5.1 (not even the last 2.5 version).

mariosv · August 17, 2020, 10:41am

Then you need install in the system ODBC drive or use Jaybird 2.2 the JDBC driver. Firebird: Server Packages

GNK · October 28, 2021, 2:57am

just as an after thought regarding initial installation of Firebird itself;

when installing Firebird there is an option to “Generate client library as GDS32.dll for legacey Interbase support” (y/n) - - - when messing with odbc(firebird) connector in LO at somepoint I think I got a message about not finding this .dll … given @Ratslinger Ratslingers comments I already gave up on odbc and used jdbc(jaybird) instead — but maybe this part of the odbc problem ?

I.e perhapes the “Generate … GDS32.dll” should be selected on first install of Firebird for the LibreOffice odbc connector to work properly ???

Ratslinger · October 28, 2021, 3:55am

Do not think this is my issue as I have run this only on Linux. I did not receive any messages in my ODBC install/testing - just crashes in the Table section upon most but not all selections. Other than that ODBC seemed to work. As with much of Firebird (embedded & now 4.x) there seems to be a list of problems holding up implementation of each.