Wanting a relational database

[ironee]

I am wanting a relational database on my FC3 system; something akin to MS Access. I am not interested in a database server (or maybe I am, but not in the near future). Does anyone have a suggestion of where I might obtain an open source database app?

Thanks, ron

[kosmosik]

I am afraid the best choice is to go with full blown server like MySQL or PostgreSQL... you can also take look on kexi or OpenOffice.org Base but they are the best just as frontends to MySQL or PostgreSQL... what is wrong with client-server aproach anyway?

http://www.koffice.org/kexi/
http://dba.openoffice.org/miscellaneous/dba20.html

or if you just wan't to use simple SQL database from scripts and so on maybe you can get to know sqlite
http://www.sqlite.org/

[ironee]

Well, I am absolutely new to databases, so am unsure what client-server approach means. I "believe" I have MySQL on this FC3 set-up, but am unsure how to access it and begin learning how to use it.

[root@localhost ~]# rpm -q mysql
mysql-3.23.58-16.FC3.1

[kosmosik]

mysql package are only client libraries (client-server means that the server may be on one machine and the client on other - but it also may be the same machine), you need mysql-server package to start the server... then you connect to it issuing:
% mysql -h localhost -u root
and you are in...

but to be honest don't learn databases on Access - this is not real relational database. MySQL is quite easy and can do some stuff. but if you really wan't to learn use PostgreSQL - it is the best open source RDBMS comparable to commercial offerings like MS SQL Server or even Oracle. it is not so difficult after all and PostgreSQL has neat features. I suggest you just get some book and dig in...

[ironee]

ok, points taken, and thank you - so, I understand you suggest I install PostgreSQL? I will thus find/download this application. Thanks again, ron