Thanks for the reply Bernard, yes it would have been nice if
I'd provided the version (slap!), which is 1.5, sorry about that.
I've found several .fdb files, one of which (help.fdb) I can connect
to it using isql and 'show tables;' seems to work, so that's a start.

I've also noticed some other responses to newbie posts since so I'll
go follow them up.

thanks for your help,

-Simon.


--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "Bernard Devlin"
<knowledgeworks@k...> wrote:

> Hi Simon,
>
> Welcome aboard.
>
> However, unless you are using one of the packages from the
> firebird.sourceforge.net or www.ibphoenix.com (.rpm, .tar.gz) or
> compiling yourself from sources (in a non-Gentoo fashion), you are
> (probably) expecting too much of people here. You need to at least
> tell people which version of Firebird you are using (there are
> changes in file extension between 1.0x and 1.5).
>
> If I understand correctly, in emerging Firebird on Gentoo you are
> effectively running a compile of someone else's package. If the
> information I give you below does not work (or you find that other
> items mentioned in the documentation are missing) I would suggest you
> contact whoever maintains that Gentoo package.
>
> To test your installation you need to locate employee.gdb (or
> employee.fdb). If you can run the isql executable in
> the /opt/firebird/bin directory, once inside that you should be able
> to connect with this line:
> connect '/path/to/employee.gdb' user sysdba password masterkey;
>
> [Watch out that you are not running isql from a unixODBC
> installation - do 'which isql' to locate which isql your shell will
> run.]
>
> If you _can_ connect then the _most basic_ functionality has been
> properly installed. If your machine is open to the internet the
> first thing to do is to change the sysdba password (as it is well
> known).
>
> You can get documentation for the old InterBase from the Borland
> site, or buy documentation from www.ibphoenix.com, or even help to
> write documentation for Gentoousers, if you are so inclined :-)
>
> Hope this helps...
>
> Bernard
>
> --- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, "si1356" <si1356@y...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've just emerged Firebird onto my Gentoo system...
> >
> > How do I start the database server? /etc/init.d/firebird references
> > ibmgr, but I ain't got one of them, and this is Firebird anyhow
> right?
> > None of the exes in /opt/firebird/bin seem to have any man pages,
> the
> > help directory contains a database (???).. so it doesn't and there's
> > not a readme in sight! Appreciate anyone who can point me to the
> > relevant HOWTO if it exists, 'cos this is all making me feel
> extremely
> > stupid (even more so than usual grrr...)
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > -Simon.