FrontBase Documentation

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6. Original Documentation
Updated: 20-Nov-2000
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6.9. Database Administration

Description of the /Local/Library/FrontBase directory

In the production situation, this directory has to be owned by root, preferably with no access at all for other users. Read access could be OK. This implies that the FBExec process and all FrontBase servers has to run as root.

/Local/Library/FrontBase must exist on all hosts on which FBExec and FrontBase is to execute.

In the development situation it makes sense to allow both read and write access for all users, i.e. FBExec and FrontBase can be launched without being logged in as root.

The /Local/Library/FrontBase directory will normally contain the following:

Databases, a directory holding all databases on the host.

Collations, a directory holding all defined collations.

Translations, a directory holding all defined translations.

bin, directory holding executable versions of the FrontBase tools.

FBExec.log, a log file to which FBExec appends miscellaneous status and error messages when executing. FBExec will always open the file in append mode, but will add a "1998-02-11 10:50:55 *** New log file point ***" message. If the FBExec cannot gain write access to FBExec.log (e.g. read-only file system), it will redirect messages to stdout.

.BootstrapFiles, a directory holding miscellaneous files needed when a new database is to be created.
The Databases directory contains two files for each database that has been started on the host: <database name>.fb and <database name>.fb.log. The former is the actual database, while the latter is a log file to which FrontBase appends miscellaneous status and error messages when executing. FrontBase will always open the file in append mode, but will add a "1998-02-11 10:50:55 *** New log file point ***" message. If FrontBase cannot gain write access to the log file, it will redirect messages to stdout.

To delete a database is as simple as deleting the <database name>.fb file (if a server is running with this database, the server has to be stopped before deleting the file).

The .BootstrapFiles directory holds, among others: SQL92BaseTables.sql and InformationSchema.sql, both are ASCII files used when a new database is bootstrapped. Please note that new databases cannot be created if this directory or its files are unavailable.

Launching FBExec

Type the following in a terminal window:
[<full path name>/]FBExec &
It would make sense, at least in a production setup, that FBExec is automatically launched during boot, e.g. the above line is added to /etc/rc.local.

Launching FrontBase

Type the following in a terminal window:
[<full path name>/]FrontBase <database name>[.fb] &
If FrontBase is launched with a <database name> not found in /Local/Library/FrontBase/Databases, it will try to bootstrap a new database, i.e. effectively create an empty SQL 92 database.

If you have feedback or questions on this document, please send e-mail to doc-feedback@frontbase.com. Please reference the section number and topic. Thanks!!