# Open Database Connectivity

Open Database Connectivity, commonly ODBC, is an open specification for providing application developers with a predictable API with which to access Data Sources. An ODBC engine needs drivers to be able to interact with databases.

## ODBC engines

You have two options to chose from: unixODBC and iODBC. Apparently unixODBC is more widely supported. This document shows how to set up unixODBC. First to access your database on your localhost and then extends the steps to configure MySQL to allow remote access through ODBC.

Additionally you can choose from various Devart ODBC drivers for SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, SQLite, Firebird, PostgreSQL, Interbase.

### Installation

    # pacman -S unixodbc

### Configuration

At /etc/odbcinst.ini is where drivers are declared, and /etc/odbc.ini where connections. More instruction at each driver section.

## Drivers

### FreeTDS

FreeTDS is a set of libraries for Unix and Linux that allows your programs to natively talk to Microsoft SQL Server and Sybase databases. Technically speaking, FreeTDS is an open source implementation of the TDS (Tabular Data Stream) protocol used by these databases for their own clients.

#### Installation

    pacman -S freetds

#### Configuration

/etc/odbcinst.ini

    [FreeTDS]
    Driver          = /usr/lib/libtdsodbc.so
    UsageCount      = 1

### Myodbc

Myodbc is ODBC driver/connector for mariadb.

#### Installation

Install myodbcAUR from official repositories. (The package disappeared from oficial repositories and does not exist in AUR either. Google search appears to have seen it in March 2016 last time.)

#### Configuration

Starting with odbcinst.ini, which lists all installed drivers. Su to root and set up your /etc/odbcinst.ini file as follows

    [MySQL]
    Description     = ODBC Driver for MySQL
    Driver          = /usr/lib/libmyodbc.so
    Setup           = /usr/lib/libodbcmyS.so
    FileUsage       = 1

#### Create a symbolic link

Next we need to create a symlink for libmyodbc.so. To do this we need to go to "/usr/lib/" and set up a symlink to libmyodbc.so

     cd /usr/lib/
     ln -s ./libmyodbc5w.so ./libmyodbc.so

## Databases

### Microsoft SQL Server 2000

/etc/odbc.ini

    [server_name]
    Driver      = FreeTDS
    #Trace       = Yes
    #TraceFile   = /tmp/odbc
    Servername  = server_name
    Database    = database_name

/etc/freetds/freetds.conf

    [server_name]
    host = 192.168.0.2 # Host name or IP address.
    port = 1433 # Default port.
    tds version = 7.1
    client charset = UTF-8

SQL Server ODBC driver connection strings and configuration guide

### Mariadb

Set up your data sources in "/etc/odbc.ini" (system wide) or "~/.odbc" (current user). If a data source is defined in both of these files, the one in your home directory take precedence.

    [MySQL-test]
    Description     = MySQL database test
    Driver          = MySQL
    Server          = localhost
    Database        = test
    Port            = 3306
    Socket          = /var/run/mysqld/mysqld.sock
    Option          =
    Stmt            =

MariaDB ODBC driver connection strings and configuration guide

#### Create a test database

Create a new database "test". You can use one of the MySQL front-ends such as mysql-workbench, or the command-line mysqladmin command:

    mysqladmin -h localhost -u root -p create test

#### Testing the ODBC

To test the ODBC connection

    isql MySQL-test

If the connection is established, you will see

    +---------------------------------------+
    | Connected!                            |
    |                                       |
    | sql-statement                         |
    | help [tablename]                      |
    | quit                                  |
    |                                       |
    +---------------------------------------+
    SQL>

If you have a problem connecting then check the error message by running

    isql MySQL-test -v

#### A couple useful websites

http://www.unixodbc.org/doc/OOoMySQL.pdf

This website got me going on ODBC with MySQL but left out some things that were necessary for me to get isql up and running. However this might be a good reference for the OpenOffice part.

http://mail.easysoft.com/pipermail/unixodbc-support/2004-August/000111.html

To work around error messages this URL proved helpful so here it is as well.

### Virtuoso / SPARQL

/etc/odbc.ini

    [ODBC Data Sources]
    VOS = Virtuoso

    [VOS]
    Driver = virtuoso-odbc
    Description = Virtuoso Open-Source Edition
    Address = localhost:1111

/etc/odbcinst.ini

    [virtuoso-odbc]
    Driver = /usr/lib/virtodbc.so

Opening a connection using the default credentials (username: "dba", password: "dba"):

    isql VOS dba dba

Category:

- Database management systems