0.0

2002

IBP

Published as Chapter One of Using Firebird.

1.0

2003

IBP

Published separately as a free Quick Start Guide.

1.x

Jun 2004

IBP

Donated to Firebird Project by IBPhoenix.

2.0

27 Aug 2004

PV

Upgraded to Firebird 1.5

Added Classic vs. Superserver section.

Reorganised and corrected Disk Locations Table.

Added (new) screenshots.

Added section on security.

Updated and completed information on Control Panel applets.

Added more examples to “Expressions involving NULL”.

Various other corrections and additions.

2.1

20 Feb 2005

PV

Enhanced GSEC section.

Added more info to CONNECT and CREATE DATABASE sections.

Added version number and document history.

2.1.1

1 Mar 2005

PV

Changed gbak r[estore] to r[eplace] in two places.

2.1.2

8 Apr 2005

PV

Reordered Firebird SQL subsections.

Added links to Firebird Null Guide.

2.2

2 Dec 2005

PV

Removed “Using the books by IBPhoenix” as it doesn’t make sense in the QSG.

Promoted “How to get help” to 1st-level section and removed “Where to next” shell.

Removed link to UFB and RefGuide; added a note instead explaining their current status.

Updated/corrected classic-super comparison table.

Moved a number of sections on installing, working with databases, and (un)safety into newly created top-level sections.

2.2.1

22 Dec 2005

PV

Corrected statement on SS thread usage in Classic-vs-Superserver table.

Fixed broken link.

3.0

21 May 2006

PV

Creation of 2.0 Quick Start Guide, still equal to previous revision except for some version numbers, XML ids etc.

3.2

10 Aug 2006

PV

Promoted “Firebird Project members” to co-authors in articleinfo.

Updated references to website (firebird.sourceforge.net → www.firebirdsql.org).

Removed “maturity” and “Service Manager” rows from Classic-vs-Super table; these things are no longer different in Firebird 2. Also changed the row on local connections: CS and SS now both allow safe, reliable local connections on Windows. Added row on Guardian. Prepended a column with feature names.

Removed any and all remarks about Classic not having a (full) Service Manager.

Removed 2nd paragraph of “Default disk locations” section.

Removed notes stating that Classic/Win connections will fail without a host name.

Updated location table and inserted rows for documentation.

Edited the Installation sections; added sections on Guardian and installing multiple servers. Removed “if-you-do-not-find-the-release-notes” tip.

Heavily edited and extended the “Testing your installation” sections.

The “Other things you need” section is now gone and its contents distributed across other sections.

Added a section on gsec (consisting partly of existing material).

Greatly enhanced and extended the Security section, and moved it to another location.

Extended and improved the “Windows Control Panel applets” section.

Edited “Working with databases”. Added a special section on connection strings. Added information on access to database objects, the EXIT statement, and local vs. remote connections. Made some paths in the examples relative, to keep the lines short. Extended paragraph on metadata.

Weakened the claim that Firebird is more SQL-compliant than any other RDBMS.

Changed the “Expressions involving NULL” section. Added a subsection on DISTINCT. Changed “More about NULLs” subsection somewhat.

Renamed “Safety measures” to “Preventing data loss”. The Security subsection has been moved elsewhere.

Extended Backup section to include nbackup information. Added links to other documentation.

In the “How to corrupt…​” part, changed gbak -r syntax to -rep and added explanatory note.

Added the “IB6 plus rlsnotes” as last-resort option to How to get help. Also mentioned firebird-support explicitly.

Corrected more version numbers, paths, and stuff.

Many sections have been reshuffled, moved up or down the hierarchy, etc. Many smaller modifications are not listed here.

Added “Happy Firebirding!” to conclude the last section.

3.3

15 Oct 2006

PV

Default disk locations table: added isql to command line tools; added row for additional server-side libs.

Added introductory paragraph to “Installing Firebird”. Changed first sentence of “Installing on Linux…​”

Changed and extended “Server check: Linux and other Unices”.

Corrected and extended the section on Linux client-only installs.

Security section: moved last paragraph of the “Protect databases…​” listitem into a new item on Classic local mode.

Connection strings: improved and extended introductory paragraph; added a subsection on third party program requirements.

Changed 3rd and 4th paragraph of “Connecting to an existing database”. Used relative paths in connection examples. Updated/corrected note on the use of quote characters.

Edited first “Important” item in “The CREATE DATABASE statement”.

Updated the warning about concatenation of long strings.

Extended the note in “Restoring a backup to a running database”.

Updated last sentence of first paragraph in “The Firebird Project”.

3.4

25 Jan 2007

PV

About this guide: Changed note about versions and replaced HTML and PDF links with single link to new doc index page.

Classic or Superserver?: Replaced note on Embedded Server with a proper subsection, containing more info and links to UFB.

Default disk locations: Created two subsections (for Linux and Windows); also split table in two and removed first column. Introduced placeholders <ProgramDir> and <SystemDir>. Changed text around tables, changed existing note, and added note for Win64 users.

Security: Removed statement that 1.5 Release Notes are included with 2.x packages.

More about NULLs: Replaced note about the Null Guide being updated with a para announcing the availability of the new version.

Backup: Updated information on UFB.

How to get help: Updated documentation links and changed text here and there.

3.5

14 Mar 2007

PV

About this guide and Important notice for 64-bit Windows users: Minor rewordings.

User management: gsec and Connection strings: Added information on enabling local protocol with IpcName=Global\FIREBIRD.

Security :: Use database aliases: Changed type from <database> to <literal> to improve output.

3.6

21 Sep 2007

PV

About this guide: Mentioned 2.0.3. Warned against 2.0.2.

Expressions involving NULL: Space added to expected concatenation result: “Home sweet”.

3.7

8 Apr 2008

PV

About this guide: Added 2.0.4 and 2.1 to covered versions. Mentioned forced writes bug.

Installing the Firebird server :: Use the Guardian?: Added warning about Win installer not detecting existing server.

How to corrupt a database?: Gave subsections id attributes.

Disabling forced writes on Windows: Created new parent section Disabling forced writes, with the Windows and Linux cases as subsections. Warned against Linux forced writes bug.

License notice: Copyright end year now 2008.

3.8

18 Jan 2009

PV

About this guide: Added 2.0.5 and 2.1.2 to covered versions.

Preventing data loss :: Backup: Mentioned nbackup’s brokenness in 2.1.

How to corrupt a database :: Restoring a backup to a running database: Changed and extended instructions re. safe restoring.

How to give help: New section directing reader to the Foundation.

License notice: Copyright end year now 2009.

3.9

4 Sep 2010

PV

About this guide: Added 2.0.6 and 2.1.3 to covered versions.

Working with databases :: Creating a database using isql :: Starting isql: Added “ means Enter” note, like in Connecting with isql.

Preventing data loss :: Backup: Mentioned nbackup’s still-brokenness in 2.1.1 and complete fix in 2.1.2.

How to get help: Last list item: changed version ref. 2.0 to 2.x.

License notice: Copyright end year now 2010.

4.0

5 Sep 2010

PV

Creation of 2.5 Quick Start Guide, still equal to previous revision except for some version numbers, XML ids etc. Also removed erroneous id from primary index term in Document History title.

4.1

15 Sep 2010

PV

About this guide: Removed 2.0-specific warnings.

Upgraded and added information for version 2.5. [Details still to be filled in]

4.2

21 Sep 2010

PV

Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver: Moved the table into an appendix and left only a concise overview here so first-time users can make a reasonable choice. Moved the paragraph about installation packages into a separate subsection.

User management: gsec :: Trouble running gsec: Improved/corrected first listitem.

Firebird server architectures: New appendix, containing the (slightly edited) table that used to be in the Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver section.

4.3

8 Jul 2011

PV

General: Added IDs to all sections that lacked one.

About this guide: Changed ulink to Firebird Doc Index.

New top-level section: The Firebird licenses.

Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver? :: Multiprocessing: Changed wording.

Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver?: After differences listing, changed advice from flat-out SuperClassic to SuperClassic on 64-bit and Superserver/Classic on 32-bit systems under high load. Split paragraph into two.

Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver? :: Installation packages: Added instruction on switching to SuperClassic on Linux.

What is in the kit? now comes after the Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver section. Itemized list now has compact spacing; words “essential reading” now wrapped in emphasis element instead of written in all-caps.

Default disk locations :: Linux: Added that default install dir may vary per distribution.

Installing Firebird :: Testing your installation :: Note: Updated ulink to IB OpGuide (text and url).

Server configuration and management :: User management: gsec :: Appointing co-administrators :: Differences between co-administrators and SYSDBA: Changed wording of 2nd listitem. Completely rewrote and extended 3rd listitem. In Note, changed wording of 2nd listitem slightly.

Server configuration and management :: Security :: Disable Classic local mode on Linux: Took out reference to libfbembed library.

Server configuration and management :: Windows Control Panel applets :: Firebird Server Manager: Edited last para.

Server configuration and management :: Windows Control Panel applets :: Firebird Control Center: Changed almost entire text.

Server configuration and management :: Administration tools: Updated ulink text and url.

Preventing data loss: Renamed Protecting your data.

Protecting your data :: How to corrupt a database :: Disabling forced writes on Linux: Removed obsolete indexterm to Linux Forced Writes bug.

How to get help: Updated ulink to mailing lists page (text and url). Updated ulink to Firebird Doc Index (text and url). Updated link to Firebird Book and added notice about first edition being out of print. Removed Note about Using Firebird and Firebird Reference Guide.

How to give help: Updated Firebird Foundation url.

The Firebird Project: Added terminating slash to ulink (text and url).

Firebird Server Architectures: In comparison table, added para in Multiprocessor / multicore row for Classic/SuperClassic. Edited final two paragraphs.

Document history: Link to CVS changed, points directly to document log view in manual module now.

License notice: Copyright end year now 2011.

4.4

26 Sep 2011

PV

articleinfo, About this guide: Added 2.5.1 to covered versions.

Classic, SuperClassic or Superserver?: Fixed typo in first para: Firebid → Firebird.

Server configuration and management :: User management: gsec :: Appointing co-administrators :: Differences between co-administrators and SYSDBA: Slightly changed wording of 2nd listitem.

Server configuration and management :: Administration tools: Inspect → Explore. In ulink text: Downloads → Download.

Working with databases :: Firebird SQL :: Expressions involving NULL :: The DISTINCT keyword comes to the rescue!: Wrapped “DISTINCT” in title in database element. Slightly altered wording in 2nd listitem.

5.0

11 Apr 2016

PV

Top-level sections up to and including Working with databases extensively reworked to bring them up to date with Firebird 3. Some sections have been moved or completely removed. Mild reworking in other sections.

5.1

14 Apr 2016

PV

Installing Firebird :: Installing the Firebird server :: Installing on Windows: corrected erroneous figure dash.

Server configuration and management :: User management :: Adding Firebird user accounts :: Examples: removed “=” from “set password =”.

Working with databases :: Connection strings :: URL-style connection strings: changed indexterm “URL-style” to “URL-style connection strings”. Added same indexterm before the listing of local URL-style connection strings in the earlier subsection Local connection strings.

5.2

25 Apr 2016

PV

Installing Firebird :: Installation kits: changed/corrected the package names and added a para after the blockquote explaining about build and packaging number.

Installing Firebird :: Installing the Firebird server :: Installing on Windows: updated image link (now points to installer screenshot as it is in final 3.0.0 release).

Installing Firebird :: Installing the Firebird server :: Installing on Linux and other Unix-like platforms: Removed Note about Firebird 3 still being in RC2 stage.

Server configuration and management :: Security :: Disable embedded connections: mash mark → hash mark.

Working with databases :: Creating a database using isql :: Creating a database as a non-privileged user: Added “other than in embedded mode” to first para. Prepended “xnet://” to database path in example creation attempt. Added “(and Engine12 enabled!)” to last para.

5.3

8 May 2016

PV

Working with databases :: Connection strings :: Local connection strings: aliases.conf → databases.conf; aliases file → configuration file.

5.4

27 Jun 2020

MR

Conversion to AsciiDoc, minor copy-editing