Many thanks...
I have considered DB2 but the problem is cost (as a Lotus site DB2 would be great).
Eventually I intend to have the whole thing running as a 'web based' operation to make the front end "teacher friendly". I have accessed the PostgreSQL server from another linux box using the Kpsql client without any problem so it's obviously a windows thing.
I actually intend to use Perl to generate, execute and return the results from queries submitted via HTML - tests indicate that it will work here quite well. My interest in the windows clients was based on not having to teach admin staff how to use Linux!
However, I don't think that such an exercise would be a bad thing. If it wasn't for the lack of CD ROM based materials for education based on Linux then I could change the entire network over to Linux 'tomorrow' so to speak.
(slightly off track here but) Our school was criticised by our latest school inspection for it's lack of CD ROM use. Despite (in my judgement) potential Y2K issues with old dos based roms and despite the fact that we have school wide internet access. In fact, the Inspector concerned would'nt even speak to me about the network and wasn't interested in anything to do with non-teaching staff! How do we overcome such issues as this?
What do schools already using Linux throughout do about such issues - I'd really like to know.
Alan Harris Network Manager Bryngwyn School alanh@bryngwyn.carmarthen.sch.uk
Malcolm wrote:
hi Alan
But.... in the mean time, anyone know anything about linking SQL clients to backend databases via TCP/IP? (before I start some really intensive reading and research that is...)
haven't done it with PostgreSQL, but with MySQL using the MyODBC drivers from Access clients. I believe that the issues would be the same with PostgreSQL, their are the drivers. The things to watch for: security permissions, the ODBC drivers require a username/password to access the DB, so if it is to read/write/delete etc etc you have to remember its client machine, rather than user-based (?) the ODBC management tools were a bit flaky, we use the web-based tools, in particular phpMyAdmin (theres one for Postgres aswell).
we have tended to use web-base interfaces rather than ODBC clients lattertly, easy to set up and use, with JSP and PHP.
if you want any more info, contact me direct. There are a number of reasons of choosing PostgreSQL over MySQL (including the license), but there seems to be wider support for clients and tools for MySQL. Have you considered DB2 ?
Malc ------------------------------- Dr Malcolm Herbert Head of Technology R&D, Becta 02476 847126 Mob: 07801 612438 ------------------------------- --
Just a thought, there was a dem about databases/adminstering databases the other month at MANLUG. The package used was called IIRC Omni Studio (?) Completely platform free and a good frontend to most Dbs, especially SQL. Alan Harris wrote, On Wed, 12 Jul 2000 paul If a conjunction met a pronoun, what would his/her name be?