Thanks Milan,
more details included.

--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, Milan Babuskov <milanb@...>
wrote:

>
> aud_io wrote:
> > I can install firebird 1.5.3SS or 2.0rc4SS (both nptl and old

threads

> > versions) successfully and connect to the example database or
> > databases which I create.
>
> Install from what? .tar.gz packages from Firebird website?

I've installed several i686 .tar.gz packages from ibphoenix.com from
the Firebird Main Downloads link seeking success in this endeavor -
starting over each time (easily done with slax under vmware).
1.5.3 CS
1.5.3 SS
1.5.3 SS NPTL
2.0RC4 SS old and NPTL
- before realizing that CS and 2.0 wouldn't work with the available
ruby adapters and that I needed to focus on 1.5.3 SS. Both 1.5.3 SS
versions exhibit the same behavior for me.

>
> > Now, bear with me if you would for a few details. Slax uses

unionFS

> > to merge filesystems
>
> I don't see how that relates to the problem...?

I left out too many details here, but the main point is that slax is
a liveCD based on Slackware (Linux 2.6.16) which utilizes what could
be thought of as "difference" modules, bundled similarly to a tar
file, which are created from changes made to the unionFS (such as by
installing Firebird), and then merged onto the file system at boot
time or an demand as desired. To rephrase - this isn't a standard
hard drive install of Linux, and the problem is occuring after the
unionFS merge of my firebird "module" for slax.

>
> > In Firebird 1.5.3, I create a /etc/rc.d/init.d
> > directory to allow creation of an init file which works to start

and

> > stop the server after initialization, so all is right in my

world at

> > this point.
>
> You can do it manually with:
>
> /opt/firebird/bin/fbmgr -start -forever
>
> Use -forever if you wish to start guardian as well. Stop with:
>
> /opt/firebird/bin/fbmgr -shut -user sysdba -pass masterkey
>
> Something like this should be in those scripts. You can find an

example

> in Slackware packages for FB1.5 found on www.linuxpackages.net.
>
> > Firebird doesn't start at boot, and doesn't write to the

firebird.log

> > I get the can't start message if I invoke the rc.firebird start.
>
> Take a look in rc.firebird (it's a plain text file) and see what

is the

> command. Copy/paste that to terminal window and see the real error

message.

I forgot to mention - I've already followed the suggestions in step4
(SS install) and step 5 (Server still won't start) in
firebird/doc/README.user.troubleshooting.

After reboot, using my slax firebird "module"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I get no output if I run bin/fbmgr or bin/fbserver as root or as
firebird, and firebird.log isn't updated either.
root@slax:/opt/firebird# date ; ll *.log ; bin/fbserver ; date
Tue Sep 19 20:50:27 GMT 2006
-rw-r--r-- 1 firebird firebird 592 Sep 19 20:27 firebird.log
Tue Sep 19 20:50:27 GMT 2006

Notice - fbserver returns immediately - it should start and run,
preventing date from being reached until I suspend, interrupt, or
kill fbserver, and firebird.log has a timestamp before this command
was executed.

ldd appears no different from a fresh install (shown after this
section)
root@slax:/opt/firebird# file bin/fbserver
bin/fbserver: ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1
(SYSV), dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped
root@slax:/opt/firebird# ldd bin/fbserver
linux-gate.so.1 => (0xffffe000)
libstdc++.so.5
=> /usr/i486-slackware-linux/lib/libstdc++.so.5 (0xb7eb7000)
libncurses.so.5 => /lib/libncurses.so.5 (0xb7e75000)
libcrypt.so.1 => /lib/tls/libcrypt.so.1 (0xb7e47000)
libm.so.6 => /lib/tls/libm.so.6 (0xb7e24000)
libc.so.6 => /lib/tls/libc.so.6 (0xb7cf5000)
libdl.so.2 => /lib/tls/libdl.so.2 (0xb7cf1000)
libpthread.so.0 => /lib/tls/libpthread.so.0 (0xb7cde000)
libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/libgcc_s.so.1 (0xb7cd5000)
/lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7f7b000)


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
After reinstalling however, all is well ...
Starting Firebird server: server has been successfully started

Please enter new password for SYSDBA user: sysdba

GSEC> GSEC>
Running ex to modify /etc/init.d/firebird
Install completed
root@slax:~# cd /opt/firebird/bin
root@slax:/opt/firebird/bin# ./fbmgr -start
server has been successfully started
root@slax:/opt/firebird/bin# ps -ef | grep fb
root 9504 1 0 20:57 pts/4
00:00:00 /opt/firebird/bin/fbguard -f
root 9505 9504 0 20:57 ?
00:00:00 /opt/firebird/bin/fbserver
root 9590 8843 0 20:57 pts/4 00:00:00 grep fb
root@slax:/opt/firebird/bin# /etc/rc.d/rc.firebird stop
Stopping Firebird server: server shutdown completed
root@slax:/opt/firebird/bin# ./fbmgr -start -forever
server has been successfully started
root@slax:/opt/firebird/bin# netstat -an | grep 3050 ; ldd fbserver
tcp 0 0 0.0.0.0:3050 0.0.0.0:*
LISTEN
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:44730 127.0.0.1:3050
TIME_WAIT
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:44727 127.0.0.1:3050
TIME_WAIT
tcp 0 0 127.0.0.1:3050 127.0.0.1:44728
TIME_WAIT
linux-gate.so.1 => (0xffffe000)
libstdc++.so.5
=> /usr/i486-slackware-linux/lib/libstdc++.so.5 (0xb7ea3000)
libncurses.so.5 => /lib/libncurses.so.5 (0xb7e61000)
libcrypt.so.1 => /lib/tls/libcrypt.so.1 (0xb7e33000)

libm.so.6 => /lib/tls/libm.so.6 (0xb7e10000)
libc.so.6 => /lib/tls/libc.so.6 (0xb7ce1000)
libdl.so.2 => /lib/tls/libdl.so.2 (0xb7cdd000)
libpthread.so.0 => /lib/tls/libpthread.so.0 (0xb7cca000)
libgcc_s.so.1 => /lib/libgcc_s.so.1 (0xb7cc1000)
/lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7f67000)

I'll leave out the echo "show tables;" | isql employee.fdb and
results, but firebird is working at this point.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>
> > /etc/inet.d DOES NOT contain any gds server configuration - per

the

> > scripts - From what I can tell - SS does not use inetd, only CS

does -

> > is this correct?
>
> Yes. SS is a standalone server, like Apache for example.

Thanks, I got a little confused jumping between CS and SS docs.

>
> > Any ideas?
>
> If all fails, you can always add the following

to /etc/rc.d/rc.local:

>
> /opt/firebird/bin/fbmgr -start -forever
>
> and be done with it.
>
> --
> Milan Babuskov
> http://swoes.blogspot.com/
> http://www.flamerobin.org
>

already added
/etc/rc.d/rc.firebird start
without success.