Hi,
I’m fairly new to Linux and I am looking for an Access-like DBMS for Linux. I’m an experienced VBA-programmer and SQL-user. Is there something like Access around?
I’ll use it with large databases : 1 to 2 GB.
Thanks for your hints and tips.
I already thought MySQL could help me, but I do not know how to get it, nor to install it.
W
You can use openOffice base, which is alternative for M$ Access.
Base
You can install it from yast->software management and search for this keyword: openoffice_org-base
About Mysql, you can also install it from yast->software management and search for mysql.
You can use then mysql query browser and mysql administrator to administrate the databases.
type in search in yast ->software management:
mysql-query-browser
mysql-administrator
Hope, this will help.
Strictly speaking there is no equivalent to Access in any other OS. Access does two things, manages your access to data and allows you to create views on your data. Unfortunately, its access controls are limited; for example, you cannot create a table view in which certain columns are not accessible to the user.
There is a project, Kexi, which is attempting to provide similar features but development appears to have stalled.
A lot depends on what you use Access for. If it is simply a frontend for your data, then OOo Base will do fine but you will need to set your data up in mysql separately before using Base for anything but the most limited tasks - in which case using OOo Base without mysql would be better.
If you are doing anything more complicated, you need to set your data up in mysql and then either use one of the mysql tools or develop your own frontend separately.
Note that Access can to set up to access mysql tables so it is practical to use Access from a Windows environment and another frontend from a Linux environment.
If you want to transfer everything to Linux, you need to export to csv either via Excel if the tables are not too large or one of the Access tools.
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There are also a lot of Access2MySQL type converters that will do the
export of data from JET to MySQL via SQL statements. I helped a business
port their environment from an access DB backend (a website was based on
the database) to MySQL and queries that used to take thirty to forty
seconds (made the web users REALLY happy to wait that long) sped up to the
point that they couldn’t even time them properly (same machine, even left
windows on the box at the time (six years ago), and ran the two web
servers side by side). Anyway, it was a great way for me to really
experience how slow the database side was. For gigabytes of data I can’t
even imagine using something besides a real DBMS like Access or
PostgreSQL. For something that doesn’t run a full-time engine there are
options like SQLite as well though, again, for a big database it’s worth
going with an engine.
Install MySQL: http://en.opensuse.org/MySQL
Once done find the interface you prefer (command-line, GUI, etc.). A tool
I use a lot (because it is free and works on all platforms for all
JDBC-enabled databases) is DB Visualizer:
http://www.minq.se/products/dbvis/ The for-pay version is probably worth
it but I’m not a DBA full time so this works well enough for me and runs
beautifully on Linux. It’s not made for any one DB so as long as you are
not tied to one particular setup you’ll be fine, and if you are tied to
one you’ll learn the DB-agnostic way which will help with everything else
in life.
Anyway give it a shot. The amount of data online about MySQL is insane
and you shouldn’t have much trouble getting it working. If you’re doing
websites also investigate phpMyAdmin as it is a great tool for web-based
administration of your database.
Good luck.
john hudson wrote:
> Strictly speaking there is no equivalent to Access in any other OS.
> Access does two things, manages your access to data and allows you to
> create views on your data. Unfortunately, its access controls are
> limited; for example, you cannot create a table view in which certain
> columns are not accessible to the user.
>
> There is a project, Kexi, which is attempting to provide similar
> features but development appears to have stalled.
>
> A lot depends on what you use Access for. If it is simply a frontend
> for your data, then OOo Base will do fine but you will need to set your
> data up in mysql separately before using Base for anything but the most
> limited tasks - in which case using OOo Base without mysql would be
> better.
>
> If you are doing anything more complicated, you need to set your data
> up in mysql and then either use one of the mysql tools or develop your
> own frontend separately.
>
> Note that Access can to set up to access mysql tables so it is
> practical to use Access from a Windows environment and another frontend
> from a Linux environment.
>
> If you want to transfer everything to Linux, you need to export to csv
> either via Excel if the tables are not too large or one of the Access
> tools.
>
>
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Thanks to all of you for your fast responses.
I’ll try and if I stillhave problems, I’ll come back to this forum.
W
>For gigabytes of data I can’t
>even imagine using something besides a real DBMS like Access
Can I quote you on that ? <g>
Cheers Dave
–
Dave Parkes [NSCS]
Occasionally resident at http://support-forums.novell.com/
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Sure. Access is poo, but like everything microsoft puts out it’s
point/click which is its only positive quality. Bringing database
functionality to the masses is a fine idea, but don’t do it for systems
that matter or are made to be on servers. Access has been used to bridge
that gap, and it shouldn’t be.
Good luck.
Dave Parkes wrote:
> To ab@novell.com
>
>> For gigabytes of data I can’t
>> even imagine using something besides a real DBMS like Access
>
> Can I quote you on that ? <g>
>
> Cheers Dave
>
>
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<g>, it was the ‘for gigabytes of data, use Access’ recommendation that
puzzled me
Cheers Dave
–
Dave Parkes [NSCS]
Occasionally resident at http://support-forums.novell.com/
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Doh! I’m an idiot. I was thinking MySQL at the time. Sorry for any
confusion… pretty funny about that though.
Good luck.
Dave Parkes wrote:
> <g>, it was the ‘for gigabytes of data, use Access’ recommendation that
> puzzled me
>
> Cheers Dave
>
>
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>pretty funny about that though.
Made me smile 
Cheers Dave
–
Dave Parkes [NSCS]
Occasionally resident at http://support-forums.novell.com/