Converting .mdb Files

I have a 12.1 .mdb file (M$ Access) that I want to convert for use in
postgres. mdbtools-0.5 segfaults when I try to run mdb-schema and
mdb-export. mdbtools-0.6pre1 fails to compile. I don't know that this
project is maintained any longer.

Has anyone here found a linux-hosted tool to convert these Access files to
something useful like postgres?

Rich

There was a discussion some time ago on the PLUG list, check the archives at http://lists.pdxlinux.org/pipermail/plug/.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pdxpug-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org [mailto:pdxpug-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org]
> On Behalf Of Rich Shepard
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 8:42 AM
> To: pdxpug(at)postgresql(dot)org
> Subject: [pdxpug] Converting .mdb Files
>
> I have a 12.1 .mdb file (M$ Access) that I want to convert for use
> in
> postgres. mdbtools-0.5 segfaults when I try to run mdb-schema and
> mdb-export. mdbtools-0.6pre1 fails to compile. I don't know that this
> project is maintained any longer.
>
> Has anyone here found a linux-hosted tool to convert these Access
> files to
> something useful like postgres?
>
> Rich
>
>
>
> --
> Sent via pdxpug mailing list (pdxpug(at)postgresql(dot)org)
> To make changes to your subscription:
> http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pdxpug

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Ewan, Michael wrote:

> There was a discussion some time ago on the PLUG list, check the archives
> at http://lists.pdxlinux.org/pipermail/plug/.

Thank you, Michael. I have no recollection of that thread.

Rich

Might have been about some other conversion, but I'm pretty sure the Access file format came into the discussion.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: pdxpug-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org [mailto:pdxpug-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org]
> On Behalf Of Rich Shepard
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:59 AM
> To: pdxpug(at)postgresql(dot)org
> Subject: Re: [pdxpug] Converting .mdb Files
>
> On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Ewan, Michael wrote:
>
> > There was a discussion some time ago on the PLUG list, check the
> archives
> > at http://lists.pdxlinux.org/pipermail/plug/.
>
> Thank you, Michael. I have no recollection of that thread.
>
> Rich
>
> --
> Sent via pdxpug mailing list (pdxpug(at)postgresql(dot)org)
> To make changes to your subscription:
> http://www.postgresql.org/mailpref/pdxpug

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Ewan, Michael wrote:

> Might have been about some other conversion, but I'm pretty sure the
> Access file format came into the discussion.

Was probably me who posted the original message. :-)

Rich

Rich Shepard wrote:
> I have a 12.1 .mdb file (M$ Access) that I want to convert for use in
> postgres. mdbtools-0.5 segfaults when I try to run mdb-schema and
> mdb-export. mdbtools-0.6pre1 fails to compile. I don't know that this
> project is maintained any longer.
>
> Has anyone here found a linux-hosted tool to convert these Access
> files to
> something useful like postgres?

A quick search using Google seems to indicate the mdb driver is part of
OpenOffice.Org.

I must have un-installed it, for some unknown reason, so it will be a
bit before I can confirm this.

\\||/
Rod
--
>
> Rich
>
>
>

Roderick A. Anderson wrote:
> Rich Shepard wrote:
>> I have a 12.1 .mdb file (M$ Access) that I want to convert for use in
>> postgres. mdbtools-0.5 segfaults when I try to run mdb-schema and
>> mdb-export. mdbtools-0.6pre1 fails to compile. I don't know that this
>> project is maintained any longer.
>>
>> Has anyone here found a linux-hosted tool to convert these Access
>> files to
>> something useful like postgres?
>
> A quick search using Google seems to indicate the mdb driver is part of
> OpenOffice.Org.
>
> I must have un-installed it, for some unknown reason, so it will be a
> bit before I can confirm this.

From what I can deduce the drivers are only available in the Windows
version of OOo.

My mdb-tools (0.5-1 on a CentOS 5.4 system) seems to be working OK. I
have a 5 GByte mdb that looks to be from the USFS -- Road features from
2006. I was able to -export, -schema, and -tables it fine.

It you want/can share your file I'll convert for you.

Rod
--
>
>
> \\||/
> Rod

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:

> A quick search using Google seems to indicate the mdb driver is part of
> OpenOffice.Org.

Rod,

I tried this, but got stuck. I created a new OO.o database, but could not
find how to import/insert the .mdb one. When I tried to open the .mdb
database within OO.o it wanted to open it as a text document. After about
5,000 pages I was able to kill the process.

The help note didn't.

Rich

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:

> From what I can deduce the drivers are only available in the Windows
> version of OOo.

Gee. That's useful. Feh!

> My mdb-tools (0.5-1 on a CentOS 5.4 system) seems to be working OK. I
> have a 5 GByte mdb that looks to be from the USFS -- Road features from
> 2006. I was able to -export, -schema, and -tables it fine.

> It you want/can share your file I'll convert for you.

This is a 12.1M file of soils data from the NRCS (nee SCS before they got
uppity), not at all private. 5G for roads must cover the entire known
universe.

Is the source for the CentOS version available? I'd like to compare that
to the source I got from sourceforge.net and fix what I have here. I also
found a .diff patch file so I'll try applying those by hand.

Thanks,

Rich

Rich Shepard wrote:
> On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:
>
>> From what I can deduce the drivers are only available in the Windows
>> version of OOo.
>
> Gee. That's useful. Feh!
>
>> My mdb-tools (0.5-1 on a CentOS 5.4 system) seems to be working OK. I
>> have a 5 GByte mdb that looks to be from the USFS -- Road features from
>> 2006. I was able to -export, -schema, and -tables it fine.
>
>> It you want/can share your file I'll convert for you.
>
> This is a 12.1M file of soils data from the NRCS (nee SCS before they got
> uppity), not at all private. 5G for roads must cover the entire known
> universe.

I think it is the model. There are a bunch of text(510) fields. In fact
all "text" are text(510) and the numbers are double(8). Anyway it is
the IPNF Road Atlas.

> Is the source for the CentOS version available? I'd like to compare that
> to the source I got from sourceforge.net and fix what I have here. I also
> found a .diff patch file so I'll try applying those by hand.

Looks like they came from rpmforge.net (DAG repo) and the package is an
RPM including the sources. Don't know if your distribution can handle
RPMs but here is the link to the .src

http://dag.wieers.com/rpm/packages/mdbtools/mdbtools-0.5-1.rf.src.rpm

Or if you want I can send the tarball (300K) and patch file (1.3K).
Sorry I don't have a ftp site.

\\||/
Rod
--
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rich
>
>
>
>

On Wed, 11 Nov 2009, Roderick A. Anderson wrote:

> http://dag.wieers.com/rpm/packages/mdbtools/mdbtools-0.5-1.rf.src.rpm

Rod,

That's the same version/file size of mdbtools-0.5 as I have. The above
includes a patch for gcc-3.4 and I am running gcc-4.2.4 so the patch won't
do any good. It's interesting that it works for you but not for me. Strange.

I'll apply the patch file I found to the 0.6pre1 code and see if I can get
it to compile then.

If that doesn't work, I'll run mdbtools-* within strace and see if someone
can interpret the output to identify the reason for the segfaults.

Thanks,

Rich