MySQL & free databases

[steelyman]

I probably shouldn't have tried this on Friday the 13th, but I was feeling brave, so...

I wanted a free database to install and use on my old Windows Vista SP2 desktop. From my experience while working, the DB experts there chose MySQL (it handled a whole lot of data generated there, so it seemed a reasonable choice to me).

I first tried downloading/installing the default but it kept failing, specifically on the MySQL Workbench, which is a graphical interface to the thing. I really wanted that, as I am no database wizard.

Trial and error led me to an installation that seems to work: install latest MySQL community base, but omit the most recent Workbench and instead use an earlier release (6.1 CE).

That was enough for a bit of an afternoon, now I just have to create a database and populate it with data. My goal is to store the media I own on a purely local basis, hopefully this will provide a good free infrastructure.

 

[nuisance]

As somebody who has to deal with MySQL on a regular basis, I recommend Postgres. (The grass is always greener, etc, but googling for "mysql sucks" vs "postgres sucks" suggests that more people dislike MySQL.)

 

[steelyman]

That's a sampling strategy I did not think of using!

Well, I will try it out in my little playground and see how it goes.

To clarify, I meant metadata about the media, not the media itself. Things like CDs, songs, artists, composers, and so on. Extend that beyond music and it is interesting (to me, anyway).

 

[sengsational]

Whatever you go wirh, at least change the default admin password. And I'd change the port numbers too.

 

[steelyman]

Whatever you go wirh, at least change the default admin password. And I'd change the port numbers too.

Gotcha, that's a good idea. I disabled TCP/IP, so I hope that means I didn't hide the key under the welcome mat.

 

[sengsational]

My experience comes from using a database to power a web app. So I had my router configured to pass unsolicited packets to the subject machine. I'm not sure what I sent out, but the Chinese were pounding on the default ports within a day.

 

[nuisance]

Looking around even more, sqlite might be a more suitable database. It's a lot lighter-weight than mysql/postgres, and if you don't need something with really high performance then it should be fine.
DB Browser for SQLite appears to have a reasonable Windows GUI for it. (That's all you need to download, since sqlite doesn't run as a stand-alone server.)

 

[steelyman]

My experience comes from using a database to power a web app. So I had my router configured to pass unsolicited packets to the subject machine. I'm not sure what I sent out, but the Chinese were pounding on the default ports within a day.

That would make for an unhappy Steely-day, for sure.

The beauty of this for me is, like many things when ER'd, there is no deadline and no customers! I'll probably spend weeks thinking of what would be nice to include (e.g., "What charts do I have of songs written by Cole Porter?") and how to represent it.

 

[sengsational]

I'm signed up for this one, which will be the first real coding I've done in a year: https://www.coursera.org/course/androidpart1

 

[jim584672]

I thought most of the mySQL crew left and made MariaDB in its place.

https://mariadb.org/

Don't know how good it is. I was a MS Access / MS SQL Server programmer in Megacorp.

 

[ERD50]

... I'll probably spend weeks thinking of what would be nice to include (e.g., "What charts do I have of songs written by Cole Porter?") and how to represent it.

As I was digitizing my CDs and some LPs, I thought it was great that I could bring up any tune or album or artist in seconds from the database within the music player app.

But then I was disappointed in what I couldn't do. I was really hoping that each song would have much more meta-data, like who plays what on each track, producers, engineer, composer, etc. I really wanted to do things like - bring up everything with so and so - I'm often amazed who is playing back-up on some other album. LPs had a lot of this info, CD usually less.

I decided just doing a web search when listening was the best I was going to do w/o a lot of work. It would be nice if places like CDDB had far more data. Maybe there is something out there I'm not aware of?

-ERD50

 

[steelyman]

MySQL & free databases

But then I was disappointed in what I couldn't do. I was really hoping that each song would have much more meta-data, like who plays what on each track, producers, engineer, composer, etc. I really wanted to do things like - bring up everything with so and so - I'm often amazed who is playing back-up on some other album. LPs had a lot of this info, CD usually less.

I decided just doing a web search when listening was the best I was going to do w/o a lot of work. It would be nice if places like CDDB had far more data. Maybe there is something out there I'm not aware of?

Yes, in the area of recorded music the possibilities seem endless. But I am willing to try a roll-my-own. It's not due tomorrow, after all!

I am expecting a few new CDs to arrive soon. If this were all set up, it should be easy to add a few new records. But it's not set up yet

 

[ERD50]

Yes, in the area of recorded music the possibilities seem endless. But I am willing to try a roll-my-own. It's not due tomorrow, after all!

I am expecting a few new CDs to arrive soon. If this were all set up, it should be easy to add a few new records. But it's not set up yet

I'll guess the answer will be "but that's no fun", but... what about the database apps in the Office suites, like LibreOffice Base?


-ERD50

 

[steelyman]

MySQL & free databases

I'll guess the answer will be "but that's no fun", but... what about the database apps in the Office suites, like LibreOffice Base?

That's one reason I come here: enthusiastic encouragement!

At this point, I am wide open to alternatives, front/back ends. That's one reason for the thread. But it has to be free, with the data itself transportable if possible. I am a Winvictim currently by circumstance.

 

[ERD50]

That's one reason I come here: enthusiastic encouragement!

At this point, I am wide open to alternatives, front/back ends. That's one reason for the thread. But it has to be free, with the data itself transportable if possible. I am a Winvictim currently by circumstance.

I haven't played with the Office Suite databases ( I did some work with a BIG SQL database at MegaCorp in the 90's, but mostly managing the team that worked on it, though I was able to do some queries and write a few scripts to check on things that I didn't want to bother them to create a report), but since the LibreOffice is all about open document formats (and free!), I assume the files are as transportable as any.


-ERD50

 

[bUU]

As somebody who has to deal with MySQL on a regular basis, I recommend Postgres. (The grass is always greener, etc, but googling for "mysql sucks" vs "postgres sucks" suggests that more people dislike MySQL.)

There are roughly 5-6 times more MySQL users than Postgres users, so if you see anything less than 5-6 times as many complaints about MySQL then that means MySQL is better. Beyond that, there is a secondary effect of popularity that that logic doesn't reveal: Given the same frequency of problems between the two database platforms, the fact that there are 5-6 times more MySQL users means that you have that much more chance of finding a solution to any problem you have, or you find such solutions 5-6 times more readily, if such a solution exists.

 

[JoeWras]

Sheesh, this sounds too much like w*rk!

I spent a bit of time with both MySQL and Postgres at w*rk over the last year. We settled on MySQL for what it is worth.

Neither are trivial to use. Steelyman, you have nerves of steel to attempt such a project. I tip my hat to you.

 

[target2019]

Rather than installing locally, you could install and develop on a cheap Web hosting account. There are pros and cons, but you're ready to roll in short order.

 

[DayDreaming]

I thought most of the mySQL crew left and made MariaDB in its place.

https://mariadb.org/

Don't know how good it is. I was a MS Access / MS SQL Server programmer in Megacorp.

My linux distro automatically converted my local mySQL db to MariaDB and I haven't noticed a single difference. So far it's 100% compatible with the mySQL db that I use on a web host. (I develop locally in MariaDB before implementing those changes on a public website which uses mySQL).

 

[meierlde]

I probably shouldn't have tried this on Friday the 13th, but I was feeling brave, so...

I wanted a free database to install and use on my old Windows Vista SP2 desktop. From my experience while working, the DB experts there chose MySQL (it handled a whole lot of data generated there, so it seemed a reasonable choice to me).

I first tried downloading/installing the default but it kept failing, specifically on the MySQL Workbench, which is a graphical interface to the thing. I really wanted that, as I am no database wizard.

Trial and error led me to an installation that seems to work: install latest MySQL community base, but omit the most recent Workbench and instead use an earlier release (6.1 CE).

That was enough for a bit of an afternoon, now I just have to create a database and populate it with data. My goal is to store the media I own on a purely local basis, hopefully this will provide a good free infrastructure.

Given that you chose a vista machine it is suprising that the current version works. Windows has changed a bit since then, and current versions of the database and in particular the gui likley assume windows 7 or better.
So for the gui it is not surprising you had to go back a few versions.

 

[steelyman]

MySQL & free databases

Sheesh, this sounds too much like w*rk!



I spent a bit of time with both MySQL and Postgres at w*rk over the last year. We settled on MySQL for what it is worth.



Neither are trivial to use. Steelyman, you have nerves of steel to attempt such a project. I tip my hat to you.

Yes, it does sound like work, doesn't it? But if I actually accomplish something, it'll be useful to me and keep my brain engaged so it's worth a try to me.

I admire the people in a recent thread discussing learning how to create apps. Go get em, tigers!

 

[steelyman]

Rather than installing locally, you could install and develop on a cheap Web hosting account. There are pros and cons, but you're ready to roll in short order.

That's a thought but my current financial outlay is $0.00, which when you don't work is a nice round number!

If I screw up, no one to blame but me, which is fine.

 

[steelyman]

My linux distro automatically converted my local mySQL db to MariaDB and I haven't noticed a single difference. So far it's 100% compatible with the mySQL db that I use on a web host. (I develop locally in MariaDB before implementing those changes on a public website which uses mySQL).

That's good to know. If I were doing this at work, it would been on an Ubuntu machine that I found easy to use.

 

[steelyman]

Given that you chose a vista machine it is suprising that the current version works. Windows has changed a bit since then, and current versions of the database and in particular the gui likley assume windows 7 or better.
So for the gui it is not surprising you had to go back a few versions.

This is a home computer I bought back around '07, with pre-installed Vista Home Premium. The only piece of MS software I bought for it was Office, only because they offered large academic discounts. It has Access, but says I to Access, "shoo, fly!".

 

[steelyman]

MySQL & free databases

The CDs I mentioned arrived the other day. One is Louis Prima, Jump, Jive 'n Wail.

Do I have a database yet? No, but I do have Prima, Angelina, and the pizzeria!

"I eat antipasto twice just because she is so nice: Angelina."

(I'm referring to REW's "Happy Valentine's Day" post a couple of weeks ago)