DBDesigner4

[eadz]

DBDesigner 4 is a free GUI tool for mysql. It can design databases graphically and save directly into mysq. As well as supporting foriegn keys, it can also edit the data. The guy who wrote this tool was hired by MySQL ( the company ) and is now working on official MySQL gui tools.



It's GPL and 8.7 MB. I know it's kind of big, but this and MySQL is the GNU world's answer to Access.

[probono]

Yes, I also like it very much, and you can run it on Knoppix with simply a klik: http://klik.berlios.de/

Because it's so easily klik-able and because it will be of use only for few people, I would not include it into Knoppix however due to the limited space.

[eco2geek]

There was an article in the April issue of Linux Format about KOffice 1.3 that mentions that the KOffice developers are working on a database app named Kexi (project home; another description). According to Linux Format: "The program is supposed to do just what one would expect: to replace tools like MS Access or FoxPro in creating, updating and querying databases." Supposed to be out of beta later this year.

[nishtya]

KDE has a lot to offer beyond desktop gui and eye candy. I closely watch karbon for improvements in order to replace illustrator and as a former Access dba, watch for kexi's public debut as well

[user unknown]

Well - I voted against.

a) few users need a database.

b) those who need should use postgresql, because it's much better. MySql doesn't even support nested queries (subqueries). Unfortunely MySql made the race in the last time - from installation-count. Probably because of it's silly name.

c) The most useless application on Windows is Access.

There are heretic movements to make linux as ugly and useless as windows, and I cannot support that.

If you design a database, make it in sql.

You can run this script on every database that clamps to the sql-standards.
In Access you can not. No create statements in the midage sql-box, no update, no insert.

Your work is lost!

If you cut 'n' paste well formatted sql-statements into the sql-box, it's lost.
A colleague created reports on his home with access, carried them to the firma, and they didn't work.
Errormessages were needless.

We created the reports with a connection to an sqlserver 7.0 and shipped it to the customer, but it wasn't possible to connect them to a different server over there.

When I here 'MS Access' I pull my revolver.
And I'm not sorry about that.

And there are a lot of other DB-Tools (DbVisualizer for instance). It works with different databases - not only one. We have odbc, jdbc and I don't know how many interfaces to databases. Building a generic tool is a poor decision in my eyes.

And it violates the linux-way: independency.

[nishtya]

Again, I eagerly await Kexi news. As anywhere, there of those who don't have anything better to contribute than attack. I earned my living with a Fortune 100 for 13 months on an Access project. It wasn't perfect, it did the job, and I kept a roof over my head.

Not sticking around for anymore attacks on anything, anybody

[baldyeti]

Well, I voted for - if only to please our host ;-)

And cool down, "unknown", I too tend to like postgresql better (more complete and more standard) but in the real worl, people get things done with access or mysql.

The app looks neat, but if the developer has been hired by mysql, there's zero chance it'll ever become a multi-db tool. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I'm afraid exactly the same happened to the developer of the excellent tora who got hired by the makers of toad which it was starting to emulate to well for its own good...

Actually since knoppix comes with a 1.4 jre anyway, a java solution would be nice, especially since JDBC drivers generally are just one jar archive away and would be no prob to use even on a live CD. But dbVisulaizer is not GPL, and squirrel although useful is still a tad limited... Anyone know of a better contender?

[baldyeti]

Hi again; on second thought, SQuirreL might currently be our best bet.
Its home page has links to resources that can help one locate all kinds of JDBC drivers.
We might primarily be interested in the following:

PostgreSQL driver
MySQL Connector/J
MS SQL server & Sybase jTDS driver
Oracle driver (probably requires a free OTN registration)

I've only played with it using the Oracle and SqlServer drivers. If you guys could give a look at how usable the free db drivers are, we might move this to a wiki page...

Also, there's a knoppix remaster named pollix which has squirrel and a java mysql driver.