Re: Can't install Informix Dynamic Server 7.30 for Linux

On Wed, 12 May 1999 mathprof@bigfoot.com wrote: >I recently successfully installed a free version of Informix-SE on my >Linux box with no serious problems. Several people recommended that I >consider upgrading to Informix Dynamic Server instead (which is not free, >but does have a free trial period), so I downloaded it (an almost 30 meg >ZIP file!), and attempted to install it. Hmmm...the IDS 7.30.UC5 ZIP file was nearly 30 MB (I downloaded that at the end of December 1998). However, the version available from Intraware this morning (1999-05-14) is IDS 7.30.UC7-2, and the file is only about 19 MB (probably because it does not include CSDK this time). >I had no problems unzipping it, and it created three directories: > >ids730uc71_linux/con >ids730uc71_linux/ids >ids730uc71_linux/sdk The version number on the site is 7.30.UC7-2 whereas the version number implied above is 7.30.UC7-1. The -1 to -2 change implies that there was a repackaging operation done. The version I got this morning unpacks into the subdirectory ids_730uc72 and created subdirs ids and con. The RPM files still have the weird names 110130311331742.RPM (IDS) and 112133711331742.RPM. Some bright spark decided to use the Informix product codes for the products as the base name of the RPM files! >each containing an RPM file. The RPM files have truly bizzare names like >"112133711331742.RPM", etc. >When I try to install the files, I get an error as follows: > ># rpm -i 112133711331742.RPM >Data type 9 not supprted OK; I tried "rpm -U -vv 1121*.RPM" and it seemed to work OK. Well, it didn't report any errors, though I've not tested everything. >Here's what I know so far: > >* This is probably more of a "Linux" error, not an Informix one, but I >thought someone here might be able to help (or point me to a non-RPM trial >version of IDS). RPM is busy saying that whatever else is in that file, it isn't a completely valid RPM file. >* I seem to remember (vaguely) that it's possible to use cpio or tar or ar > or one of those programs to "untar" an RPM file that won't install > normally-- anyone have more details on this? There is an rpm2cpio program around (/usr/bin on my Linux box). >* I've tried upgrading my version of RPM to no avail. I'm using 2.2.6 > right now. > >Possibly dumb question: > >* Is IDS essentially the same product as Informix-SE? In other words, is > it also an SQL server? Or is it completely different and better? Does it > make sense to ask "what's the difference between IDS and Informix-SE" or > is that comparing apples and oranges? It depends on the level at which you want to do the comparison. At a sufficiently high level, they are both RDBMS which handle SQL, store data, and are produced by Informix. At pretty much every other level, they are very different critters. IDS has complex ways of handling disks and disk layouts and needs careful configuration and some regular monitoring, whereas SE is a slap it on the machine, use it and forget about it operation. On the other hand, in return for the TLC you give IDS, it gives better performance and provides features not found in SE. I prefer IDS to SE, unless the people I'm doing the setup for are Unix/Linux neophytes for whom the benefits of simpler SE administration outweigh the performance gain and feature benefits of IDS. At most detailed levels, comparing IDS and SE is rather like comparing grapefruits and oranges -- there's a lot in common, but there's a lot that's different.