What is Firebird?

From what Ive read, it is the codename of Interbase, open source?

In what it is different (if there is one) from Interbase 6?

Please, dont be rude... I really cant figure it ou...

TIA,
Renato

Firebird = Interbase open source fork.

--
Sergio Samayoa
Lgica Software
http://www.geocities.com/logicasw/

It seems to me that most of us on this forum are beginners (newbies), or at
least in some stage of learning about using Intebase (even SQL in general).
This is probably because most are from backgrounds where we used Paradox,
dBase, Foxpro etc. I speak from personal experience of my own migration into
IB environment. This happened when Borland placed IB into the "Open Source"
arena - It has changed many peoples lives, but we will be forever grateful.
Nevertheless, it is a huge and daunting change that can cause one to feel
overwhelmed in the beginning. If it were not for this forum and other
closely related forums (like IBX), I do not think it would be possible for
the majority who start down the IB road, to succeed. And a BIG THANKS to the
heroes of the forum like Jeff, Craig, Bill, Martijn and others who
graciously assist us beginners.

I often recognize from questions posed here that many are going through some
of the same stages I have been through previously, and sometimes there are
some questions that I do not even understand because I do not have enough of
the basics.

Some observations from just more than one year of my own learning cycle ::

[1] The number of users on the forum is growing - This is good news for us
all.
[2] Many newbies ask the same old questions that have been asked many time
before - Tends to suggest that a FAQ should be more readily available to
newbies.
[3] There are a few particular topics that are the major stumbling blocks -
Like Networking, UDFs, using and understanding Transactions, repairing
databases, back-up and replication to mention just some that come to mind
immediately
[4] The documentation that accompanies IB is extensive (the Adobe stuff) but
there is a lack of extensive SQLexamples - That is the way most developers
would learn the trickier stuff like JOINS and other clever things you can do
with SELECT - this is not an IB problem, it is a lack of general SQL
know-how, but a problem none the less.
[5] Overall there is a good feeling of progress and growth on the IB forums
and therefore in the growing IB community! Good news.

But there is also something that can sidetrack and even cause some
confusion. That is the underlying competition between IBX and IBO - As a
newbie, I often felt even more lost than ever when the big guns have a go at
each other in public. Oh-Boy does that unsettle a beginner!. It seems to
stem from some natural fallout when Borland decided to make IB open source.
My advice to newbies is stick to IBX until you are really comfortable and
productive, before you look at things like IBO. In any case IBX has
progressed hugely in one year, and continues to do so.

At last to Firebird ! What is Firebird ? It is an open source version of the
IB that was originally released by Borland. Therefore it is a version
developed by an open source group, that has some new features. For instance
it is capable of allowing you to select the FIRST n records of a table (or
query) This is a feature that can only be done with a stored procedure in
IB.

My own feeling is that I will stay in the big pack, that is, with the
majority who stay with IBX and IB (the version from Borland) and keep an
"open" eye and mind on IBO and Firebird. But - expect a price tag on those.

Pheeeew...

In article <3c0976b1_1@dnews>, ren...@e-cronos.com.br says...
It's freeware. You can download and deploy the server(s) and clients to
the users of your applications without the worries of royalties and
license violations. There are also all the necessary JDBC and ODBC
Drivers easily available so you can use it with many diferent
development environments and offer inexpensive RDBMS products to all
your clients.

Our group has gone to it because we can migrate all our corporate
clients Access and other small database projects to it.

Hope this helps!!!!

To not upset Borland people, please use
ib-support (at) yahoogroups.com (email)
or
news.atkin.com (news)
for your Firebird questions.

Anyway, that forum takes equally IB and FB questions, no "racism".

C.
--
Claudio Valderrama C. - http://www.cvalde.com - http://www.firebirdSql.org
Independent developer
Owner of the Interbase? WebRing

        Open source and freeware projects have the same price tag ($0), but the
similarity ends there.  IB Open Edition definitely does have a license
agreement (you can read it on the IB web site at
http://www.borland.com/interbase) and I recommend reading it before
redistributing IB.  

        -Craig

--
 Craig Stuntz (TeamB) Vertex Systems Corp. Columbus, OH
We're hiring: http://www.vertexsoftware.com/careerops.htm#sd
     Delphi/InterBase WebLog: http://delphi.weblogs.com

Not true. Linux is open source, but you have to pay for Red Hat or Mandrake
versions. Freeware doesn't have to be released with source code. There are
NO similarities between freeware and open source.

You can download Mandrake for free.  If you want it on CD, all you are
paying for is the CD's and shipping, not the OS.  I don't think Red
Hat is the same but you can download Red Hat.

-Erik

On Mon, 3 Dec 2001 18:08:48 +0100, "Hilmar Brodner"

        The license which Linux is released under requires that any derived
work be made available for free.  And indeed I didn't pay for my
Mandrake CD.

        -Craig

--
 Craig Stuntz (TeamB) Vertex Systems Corp. Columbus, OH
We're hiring: http://www.vertexsoftware.com/careerops.htm#sd
     Delphi/InterBase WebLog: http://delphi.weblogs.com

Not that this is the place to be discussing this, but you are incorrect.

The definition of "Open Source" can be read here:
http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.html

If I feel like it I can go and sell Linux. "Free" means I just have to make
the source availbale to them (hence *OPEN* source)

"Craig Stuntz (TeamB)" <cstuntz@no_spam.vertexsoftware.com> schrieb im
Newsbeitrag news:3C0BF4CA.D8814CD@no_spam.vertexsoftware.com...

...and from the GPL:
"
When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our
General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom
to distribute copies of free software (and charge for this service if you
wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you
can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs; and that
you know you can do these things.

To protect your rights, we need to make restrictions that forbid anyone to
deny you these rights or to ask you to surrender the rights. These
restrictions translate to certain responsibilities for you if you distribute
copies of the software, or if you modify it.

For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or
for a fee, you must give the recipients all the rights that you have. You
must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you
must show them these terms so they know their rights.

"

q.e.d.

        I never said you couldn't sell OS software.  You are misquoting me.

        -Craig

--
 Craig Stuntz (TeamB) Vertex Systems Corp. Columbus, OH
We're hiring: http://www.vertexsoftware.com/careerops.htm#sd
     Delphi/InterBase WebLog: http://delphi.weblogs.com

  Renato, here is'nt the best place to ask about Firebird. You can visit
www.firebirdsql.com and get there enough information. I can say shurely
- Firebird now is far more than Interbase Open Source - look at the list
of fixed bugs and new features.

Best regards.

InterBase Open Edition is free, but Borland has also payed version of  IB.