Обсуждение: LinuxODBC

Hi,

The LinuxODBC Project wants to certify a postgreSQL ODBC driver for
Linux. We would also like to incorporate the driver into the LinuxODBC
infrastructure.

LinuxODBC comprises many components. Its starts with the iODBC driver
manager. We are making contributions to enhance that product (it is now
LGPL). We have added our own odbcinst library and command tool (also
LGPL and GPL). Furthermore we have created GUI clients for Linux such
as; ODBCConfig and a DataManager (both use ODBC and ODBCINST calls).

Finally we have started a certification program. We are already working
on MiniSQL and MySQL. We have received requests for PostgreSQL to be
among the first wave of drivers.

All fo this is OpenSource (ie GPL or LGPL).

see http://www.codebydesign.com/LinuxODBC


QUESTIONS

- Has an ODBC driver been ported to Linux (I found Win32 source but no
Linux and one bad link to Sergey)?
- Can LinuxODBC coordinate with those who harbour the Win32 version of
the ODBC driver to create a portable driver (in the same thinking as
iODBC)? We would be willing to do most of the work as long as we know
that at the end of the day we are dealing with one source code for this
ODBC driver (that way new features will arrive on both platforms at the
same time and with minimum of work)?


Peter Harvey

> - Has an ODBC driver been ported to Linux (I found Win32 source but no
> Linux and one bad link to Sergey)?

A good one is distributed with the Postgres source code, under the BSD
license. My experience was that at least one other driver (postODBC?)
was not as mature at the time, though I recently heard a good report. A
lot must have been added in the meantime...

> - Can LinuxODBC coordinate with those who harbour the Win32 version of
> the ODBC driver to create a portable driver (in the same thinking as
> iODBC)? We would be willing to do most of the work as long as we know
> that at the end of the day we are dealing with one source code for
> this ODBC driver (that way new features will arrive on both platforms
> at the same time and with minimum of work)?

The primary WIN32 developer/maintainer for psqlODBC is Byron Nikolaidis
who is copied on this message. A few of us have helped with the
Linux/Unix port of this code, and the source code currently supports
both Linux and WIN32.

I'm not certain of the licensing ramifications, but istm that one may be
able to convert BSD to GPL. But others will have more experience on that
issue.

                       - Tom

On Tue, Feb 02, 1999 at 03:15:07AM +0000, Thomas G. Lockhart wrote:
> I'm not certain of the licensing ramifications, but istm that one may be
> able to convert BSD to GPL. But others will have more experience on that
> issue.

There is no problem adding BSD code to a (L)GPLed project. Adding GPLed code
to a BSD project is a problem though.

Michael
--
Michael Meskes                         | Go SF 49ers!
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Tel.: (+49) 2431/72651                 | Use Debian GNU/Linux!
Email: Michael.Meskes@gmx.net          | Use PostgreSQL!

> So far, no permanent ones. We do run across some compatibility problems
> on occasion because Byron does not develop on Unix/Linux at all, but
> does want to be the keeper of the definitive sources. I trust that you
> are not proposing a code fork now? :)
>

No.

> Are you coordinating this with Byron? Does the source continue to have
> full WIN32 compatibility?
>

I am waitinf for a reply from Byron... and yes.

> You say that this is compatible with an M$ API or file format standard,
> so that should fit in well with Byron's needs. We will need to
> coordinate with him, and it would be best to do so with CC: to the
> Postgres Interfaces mailing list to keep everyone up to speed.
>

Yes. The API is compatible although;

1. some additional functions have been added (not required if compatibility
is an issue by the caller)
2. GUI stuff is in stub form (implemented via additional funcs

There are only a few funcs that would be used normally and they are funcs
like SQLGetPrivateProfileString() and are implemented 100% so libodbcinst
is quite usefull.

>
> I'm not certain about the licensing issues. The PostgreSQL distribution
> is, at the moment, fully BSD licensed, and there has been concern about
> mixing in other licenses. However, it may be that having a single
> directory in the distribution with a GPL license will be acceptable.
> There is some advantage to building the ODBC driver underneath the
> Postgres installation to take advantage of ./configure results, but
> perhaps we could just rip the odbc stuff out of the main distribution
> and deliver it separately (we support a standalone build anyway).

It would be really good for all if one driver manager were to be used and
one method of getting to the ODBC 'system information'. I am, of course, of
the opinion that LinuxODBC is the solution (includes iODBC). All efforts
are being made to ensure that Driver code can be 100% portable.

>
>
> Oh, Byron's driver has also been built and tested on Solaris, and should
> run on other platforms too. Hopefully your mods will be
> platform-neutral?
>

Again, the focus is on ensuring the Driver is 100% portable. This means
that the driver manager and odbcinst must be API compatible but not
portable with Windows (although the iODBC DM is portable as well). The one
problem with the PostgreSQL driver is that it has the Setup code in it. So
far it is still portable but it would be better to make this a seperate DLL
for the windows version.


>
> Regards.
>
>                          - Tom

Thomas G. Lockhart wrote:

> > - Can LinuxODBC coordinate with those who harbour the Win32 version of
> > the ODBC driver to create a portable driver (in the same thinking as
> > iODBC)? We would be willing to do most of the work as long as we know
> > that at the end of the day we are dealing with one source code for
> > this ODBC driver (that way new features will arrive on both platforms
> > at the same time and with minimum of work)?
>

I'm not sure what you mean by Win32 and portable.  The driver can already be
compiled for both windows and unix platforms.  The only windows specific
code in the driver is the small part which deals with datasource setup
(dialog boxes) and this is #IFDEF WIN32 anyway.

Am I missing something here?

Byron

>
> I'm not sure what you mean by Win32 and portable.  The driver can already be
> compiled for both windows and unix platforms.  The only windows specific
> code in the driver is the small part which deals with datasource setup
> (dialog boxes) and this is #IFDEF WIN32 anyway.
>
> Am I missing something here?
>
> Byron

No, I doubt it. I just wanted make sure. I have made some changes (so as to
work with the new iODBC and to use libodbcinst.so instead of the home brew
SQLGetPrivateProfileString()) and I will submit them to you in a few days.

Thanks!

Peter