Re: [firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Helen Borrie hele...@iinet.net.au [firebird-support]]

Hello Mark,

Saturday, October 15, 2016, 10:02:33 PM, you wrote:

> On 13-10-2016 11:43, Helen Borrie hele...@iinet.net.au 
> [firebird-support] wrote:
>> 64-bit or 32-bit - does not matter.  You should be able to open that
>> v.1.5 database with either Fb 1.5 or 2.0.6.  You would probably get
>> some errors trying to open it in Fb 2.1 or 2.5.  That has nothing to
>> do with 32-bit/64-bit but with changes in the on-disk structure.

> I thought there was a difference for 32 bit vs 64 bit if the database 
> was ODS 11.0 or earlier.

Yes - I think you could be correct about that.  My 2.5 server would not
connect to an old db I made for the 2004 ? conference. ("Not a valid
database...")  An old WinXP laptop running Fb 1.5, that I keep for
customer work, was able to connect to it.

But I had a backup of it that was made under Fb 1.5 and was able to
restore it to ODS 11.2, as follows.-

(all in one command!)
# ./gbak -c /opt/databases/LeisureStoreDB/LeisureDBbackup/20040511.fbk
/opt/databases/LeisureStoreDB/ODS11_2/leisurestore.fdb
-user sysdba -password masterke -fix_fss_m ascii

(
made an alias in aliases.conf for the restored database:
newlstore = /opt/databases/LeisureStoreDB/ODS11_2/leisurestore.fdb
)

# opt/firebird/bin # ./isql newlstore -u sysdba -p masterke
Database:  newlstore, User: sysdba
SQL>

So I recommend that OP gets the Fb 1.5.6 kit from the Downloads
archive.  We didn't have any 64-bit kits for 1.5, if you recall, so
that's not a complication. Make a gbak backup and test on that
installation that it restores OK.

Keep a copy of the backup file, run the uninstall script for Fb 1.5
and install the 64-bit Fb 2.5.

Restore the backup but, unless the default character set is NONE or
ascii, you will need to replace the -fix_fss_m argument with the
actual charset that was the default in the old db. That's a one-time
fix, needed because at v.2.1 text stored in metadata - such as CHECK
constraints and defaults - was changed from default charset to
UNICODE_FSS.  If the default charset was already UNICODE_FSS you don't
have to do any fixing.

And, of course, on Linux you will already have a better SYSDBA
password than 'masterke'. ;-)

Helen

Re: [firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Mark Rotteveel m...@lawinegevaar.nl [firebird-support]]

On 13-10-2016 11:43, Helen Borrie hele...@iinet.net.au 
[firebird-support] wrote:
> 64-bit or 32-bit - does not matter.  You should be able to open that
> v.1.5 database with either Fb 1.5 or 2.0.6.  You would probably get
> some errors trying to open it in Fb 2.1 or 2.5.  That has nothing to
> do with 32-bit/64-bit but with changes in the on-disk structure.

I thought there was a difference for 32 bit vs 64 bit if the database 
was ODS 11.0 or earlier.

Mark
-- 
Mark Rotteveel

Re: [firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Ann Harrison aharri...@ibphoenix.com [firebird-support]]

> On Oct 13, 2016, at 4:37 AM, Urs Liska fireb...@openlilylib.org 
> [firebird-support]  wrote:
> 
>> Am 13.10.2016 um 10:18 schrieb Elmar Haneke el...@haneke.de 
>> [firebird-support]:
>> 
>> > 1)
>> > I assume on LInux (Debian based Mint version and an Ubuntu flavor) I
>> > install a variant of the server (in the repository I find the 2.5
>> > variants, but I'd be also happy installing a   downloaded 3.0 
>> > instead).
>> > Then I need a generic DB manager like e.g. Flamerobin to do general
>> > operations and basic DB editing. Or is it equally possible to do that in
>> > the terminal?
>> >
>> > Is that correct?
>> 
>> That's mostly correct. 64Bit Firebird might be unable to open old
>> database - I came to tha Problem with an FB 1.5 database moving to FB 2.5.
>> 
>> In that case you have to install either 32Bit package or an old package.
>> 
>> > 2)
>> > How can I determine the version of my existing database file? And how
>> > can I convert that to a current one in the expected case it isn't
>> > compatible with my current installation? There is only the .fdb file and
>> > no backup available.
>> 
>> Once accessible FlameRobin can tell you the version of datafile.
>> 
>> To convert to current database you have to create an backup and restore.
>> 
>> Elmar
> 
> So that boils down to having to try out different versions of Firebird until 
> I find one that can open the DB?
>   

Try gstat -h.  It should tell you the version of the database file even if the 
seever won't open it.  

Good luck,

Ann
> 
> Posted by: Urs Liska 
> 
> 
> ++
> 
> Visit http://www.firebirdsql.org and click the Documentation item
> on the main (top) menu.  Try FAQ and other links from the left-side menu 
> there.
> 
> Also search the knowledgebases at 
> http://www.ibphoenix.com/resources/documents/ 
> 
> ++ 
> 
>  
> 
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Re: [firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Helen Borrie hele...@iinet.net.au [firebird-support]]

Hello Urs,

> 1)
> I assume on LInux (Debian based Mint version and an Ubuntu flavor) I
> install a variant of the server (in the repository I find the 2.5
> variants, but I'd be also happy installing a downloaded 3.0 instead).
> Then I need a generic DB manager like e.g. Flamerobin to do general
> operations and basic DB editing. Or is it equally  possible to do that in
> the terminal?
> Is that correct?
>   
>That's mostly correct. 64Bit Firebird might be unable to open 
> old
>database - I came to tha Problem with an FB 1.5  database 
> moving to FB 2.5.
>   
>In that case you have to install either 32Bit package or an 
> old package.

64-bit or 32-bit - does not matter.  You should be able to open that
v.1.5 database with either Fb 1.5 or 2.0.6.  You would probably get
some errors trying to open it in Fb 2.1 or 2.5.  That has nothing to
do with 32-bit/64-bit but with changes in the on-disk structure.

BTW, Flamerobin is a useful tool but all Firebird packages come with
the isql utility, which runs in the command shell.  You just have to
make sure you run it from its own bin directory with ./ because there
are other DBMS out there that have their own [incompatible] binaries
with the same name.
>   
> 2)
> How can I determine the version of my existing database file? And how
> can I convert that to a current one in the
> expected case it isn't
> compatible with my current installation? There is  only the .fdb file and
> no backup available.

Start by downloading and installing the Fb 1.5.6 tar.gz kit from
http://www.firebirdsql.org/en/firebird-1-5/#Linux_x86 ...

Put the database file somewhere on the physical filesystem of the host
machine.  Use the gbak utility to take a backup which can be restored to a
higher ODS.
>   
>Once accessible FlameRobin can tell you the version of 
> datafile.

You don't need Flamerobin for that.  In the same directory, do

./gstat -h /path/to/database
and look for the item "ODS version":
10.0 means it was created under Fb 1.0
10.1  """ Fb 1.5
11.0  """ Fb 2.0
11.1  """ Fb 2.1
11.2  """ Fb 2.5

After taking your gbak backup, decide which version you want to
upgrade to. At both 2.0 and 2.1 there were changes that need repair
when you restore the database, so read the release notes, especially
the installation and migration document, which is common to both major
versions.

> So that boils down to having to try out different versions of
> Firebird until I find one that can open the DB?

Only if you want to! ;-)

I would start with 1.5 so you have a good backup to work with.  If you
decide to go straight to 2.5, read the release notes thoroughly;  but
also get PDF release notes and installation docs for 2.0 and 2.1 from the
Documentation zone. Particularly look at the gbak -c[reate] options
for fixing data and metadata. because you will still need to do those fix
options when you upgrade from the v.1.5 backup to Fb 2.5.

I'd also recommend studying all the scripts that are in the tarball
kit when you decompress it.

When you get back "in the groove" you might consider doing the upgrade
to Fb 3.
-- 
Kind regards,
 Helen Borrie

Re: [firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Dimitry Sibiryakov s...@ibphoenix.com [firebird-support]]

13.10.2016 10:37, Urs Liska fireb...@openlilylib.org [firebird-support] wrote:
> So that boils down to having to try out different versions of Firebird until 
> I find one
> that can open the DB?

   No, you can use gstat from FB 2.5 to see ODS version in database header and 
derive 
right FB version from it. Or you can just use FB 2.5 for the file migration as 
it can read 
most of old databases.


-- 
   WBR, SD.






++

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Re: [firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Elmar Haneke el...@haneke.de [firebird-support]]

> 1)
> I assume on LInux (Debian based Mint version and an Ubuntu flavor) I
> install a variant of the server (in the repository I find the 2.5
> variants, but I'd be also happy installing a downloaded 3.0 instead).
> Then I need a generic DB manager like e.g. Flamerobin to do general
> operations and basic DB editing. Or is it equally possible to do that in
> the terminal?
>
> Is that correct?

That's mostly correct. 64Bit Firebird might be unable to open old
database - I came to tha Problem with an FB 1.5 database moving to FB 2.5.

In that case you have to install either 32Bit package or an old package.

> 2)
> How can I determine the version of my existing database file? And how
> can I convert that to a current one in the expected case it isn't
> compatible with my current installation? There is only the .fdb file and
> no backup available.

Once accessible FlameRobin can tell you the version of datafile.

To convert to current database you have to create an backup and restore.


Elmar

[firebird-support] Reviving an old firebird database (file conversion/programming hints)

[Urs Liska fireb...@openlilylib.org [firebird-support]]

Hi all,


after something like a decade I would like to revive an old Firebird
database that I found on an old drive and need some starters to get me
going.


*Then* I developed it on Windows XP and mainly edited it using a generic
DB management tool of which I forgot the name (it was a commercial
product with a free student's license).


Now I'm working on LInux exclusively and have a number of questions:


1)
I assume on LInux (Debian based Mint version and an Ubuntu flavor) I
install a variant of the server (in the repository I find the 2.5
variants, but I'd be also happy installing a downloaded 3.0 instead).
Then I need a generic DB manager like e.g. Flamerobin to do general
operations and basic DB editing. Or is it equally possible to do that in
the terminal?


Is that correct?


2)
How can I determine the version of my existing database file? And how
can I convert that to a current one in the expected case it isn't
compatible with my current installation? There is only the .fdb file and
no backup available.


Could you give me some hints on libraries or other tools to start
developing for/with Firebird again? I'd first like to write a usable
interface to that existing database and then maybe restart using
Firebird as a backend for further applications.


I'd be happy to use Python, especially PyQt, and/or Node.js/AngularJS
for creating a web frontend.


Thank you for any pointers
Urs