that.SelectedDude wrote:

> 1. A normal Linux user cannot connect to the database

That is expected.

> # Try to connect to the database as SYSDBA:
> ##### unexpected: #####
> SQL> connect /opt/firebird/examples/employee.fdb user 'sysdba' password
> 'xxxxx';
> Statement failed, SQLCODE = -902
>
> operating system directive open failed
> -Permission denied

No wonder. You need to use:

localhost:/opt/firebird/example/employee.fdb

You are still a local user, and not "firebird" or "root". In this case,
SYSDBA username/password is ignored.

> User robert is in the firebird group (I've added him manually):
> robert@ubuntu:~$ groups robert
> robert : robert adm dialout cdrom floppy audio dip video plugdev lpadmin
> scanner admin firebird

You need to log out and log back in for group changes to take effect
(although I doubt that has any effect on the problem).

> And, why can't one connect using the database user in the connection
> statement? Should'nt FireBird change the process's identity to firebird
> in that case (as it would be with SQL Server, I believe)?

If you say "localhost:" it connects to port 3050, and (x)inetd starts
fb_inet_server. If you don't say "localhost:" there is no way for it to
assume identity of another user (unless you prehaps set the setuid bit
on isql (chmod +s), but I urge you not to).

I'm not sure what you mean by "SQL Server". Only "SQL Server" I know of
is Microsoft product and doesn't run on Linux. Privilege system is
somewhat different on Windows.

> robert@ubuntu:~$ sudo iptables -t nat --list

This should have been:

iptables -t filter --list

Sorry about that.

> Port 3050 is not open.
> inetd appears to be running:
> robert@ubuntu:~$ ps ax | grep inetd
> 10015 pts/18 S+ 0:00 grep inetd

NO, it isn't !!!

You only got your "grep" command here. Start the (x)inetd and that
should do it:

/etc/init.d/inetd start

or

/etc/init.d/xinetd start

or maybe:

service xinetd start

I don't recall how exactly is it done on Ubuntu.

--
Milan Babuskov
http://swoes.blogspot.com/
http://www.flamerobin.org