I got firebird server to run with

sudo /Library/StartupItems/Firebird/Firebird start

I was also able to find the security database (everything is practically hidden)

sudo gsec -database localhost:/Library/Frameworks/Firebird.framework/Resources/English.lproj/var/security2.fdb -user sysdba -password masterkey
use gsec -? to get help
connection rejected by remote interface
unable to open database

--- In firebird-support@yahoogroups.com, Helen Borrie wrote:
>
> At 02:03 p.m. 13/02/2013, Paul Tremblay wrote:
> >I installed
> >
> >FirebirdSS-2.5.2-26539-lipo-x86_64.pkg.zip
> >
> >
> >
> >I unzipped the package and double clicked on the icon and successfully
> >installed the program. However, when I try to set up a password I get
> >this error:
> >
> >sudo gsec -user sysdba -password masterkey
> >use gsec -? to get help
> >connection rejected by remote interface
> >unable to open database
>
> AFAIK, Superserver on MacOSX has the same restriction as on other POSIX platforms: it does not support a "serverless" connection. So there are two issues right here, one or both of which will give you the error you encountered.
>
> 1) you need a TCP/IP connection string in the gsec command; and
> 2) to open the security database on a remote connection, the -database parameter is obligatory.
>
> I'll use an alias here - SEC - because I'm not on a Mac and I know that the path to things on Mac is long and involved. (Good idea to set up the alias anyway! set it up in aliases.conf first):
>
> sudo gsec -database hostname:SEC -user sysdba -password masterkey
>
> The hostname can be localhost if it's allowed on your setup; otherwise I guess it is CYNTHIAs-MacBook-Pro (Yikes!)
>
> Mind you, if fbserver isn't running, even using the correct syntax won't help.
>
>
> >If I do
> >
> >ps aux | grep fb
> >
> >I get nothing.
> >
> >Also:
> >
> >ps aux | grep fbserver
> >
> >also gives me nothing.
> >
> >If I try to start the server with
> >
> >fbserver
> >
> >I get this message:
> >
> >Unable to complete network request to host "CYNTHIAs-MacBook-Pro.local"
> >
> >I have tried every binary provided on the downloads page, including both
> >32 and 64 bit, and get the same error.
>
> If you ran the pkg installation by the book then fbserver will be running. However, you don't start the fbserver executable that way. On POSIX the daemon that minds fbserver is called fbmgr and it takes a variety of arguments. You need root privileges to run fbmgr.
>
> On MacOSX (with no first-hand proof, let me say!) fbmgr is set up as a Startup Item. It should be available in your startup items with options for the various fbmgr arguments (such as -start, -stop, -restart, -show and possibly one or two more). The location of the item should be here (or thereabouts):
> "/Library/StartupItems/Firebird"
>
> Hope this gets you near where you want to be. If not, I hope someone else will step up and help.
>
> ./hb
>
>
> Helen Borrie, Support Consultant, IBPhoenix (Pacific)
> Author of "The Firebird Book" and "The Firebird Book Second Edition"
> http://www.ibphoenix.com/products/books/firebird_book
> __________________________________________________________________
>