At 02:46 AM 10/07/2007, Andy Koch wrote:

>--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, Helen Borrie <helebor@...> wrote:
> >
> > At 10:22 AM 7/07/2007, you wrote:
> > >I've been trying to create a new Firebird DB on Debian Firebird 1.5
> > >install. Unless I use root I get...
> > >
> > >"operating system directive open failed"
> >
> > Provide the exact DDL that you are using for the CREATE DATABASE
> > request. Also, say what you are using as a client for this task.
> >
> > ./heLen
>
>I'm using "isql" on a shell window of the Debian machine; I've also
>tried FlameRobin and IB Manager from a remote windows machine. I'm
>focusing on 'isql' as it is documented in the "The Firebird Book" I'm
>using for reference / learning; which looks to be your book :).
>
>The DDL is...
>
> >> isql
>Use CONNECT or CREATE DATABASE to specify a database
>SQL> create database '/home/andy/stringsDB/external/lib/fdb/test.fdb'
>user 'sysdba' password 'password';
>Statement failed, SQLCODE = -902
>
>operating system directive open failed
>-Permission denied
>
>
>And for good measure, here are my Debian packages...
>
>ii firebird2-classic-server 1.5.3.4870-12
>ii firebird2-common 1.5.3.4870-12
>ii firebird2-server-common 1.5.3.4870-12
>ii firebird2-utils-classic 1.5.3.4870-12
>
>Also, the dir '/home/andy/stringsDB/external/lib/fdb' has permissions 777.

The permission you are being denied is file creation. That's the
first thing that happens with CREATE DATABASE.

What's in a name? A rose, etc.....but am I right to suspect that the
"external" in this path is pointing to a NFS location? If so, you
won't be able to create or access a database there. Database files
must be on a local partition.

Some more checks to do:

1. Are you sure there is not already a file named 'test.fdb' in the
specified location?

2. What is the setting in firebird.conf for DatabaseFileAccess? (It
would need to be FULL in order to access a database file via the path)

3. Do you have a firebird group set up? This should contain the
firebird user plus any OS users that are going to access databases
via the direct access method that you are trying to use. Possibly
the Debian installer hasn't created this group for you...

4. Could the permissions problem be on the security database? (With
the direct access method, you would need the firebird group with both
firebird the OS user in it, plus adequate group permissions to access
security.fdb and also to create and write to the firebird.log file.

Otherwise....given that you can access existing databases by this
method.....baffling....

./heLen