meta data for this page
Default disk locations
Linux
The following table shows the default component locations of a Firebird installation on Linux. Some of the locations may be different on other Unix-like systems.
Table 1. Firebird 2.5 component locations on Linux
| Component | File name | Default location |
|---|---|---|
| Installation directory (referred to hereafter as <InstallDir>) | - | /opt/firebird (may vary per distribution) |
| Configuration files | firebird.conf, aliases.conf, etc. | <InstallDir> |
| Release Notes and other documentation | Various files | <InstallDir>/doc |
| Firebird server | fbserver (SS), fb_smp_server (SC) or fb_inet_server (CS) | <InstallDir>/bin |
| Command-line tools | isql, gbak, nbackup, gsec, gfix, gstat, etc. | <InstallDir>/bin |
| Sample database | employee.fdb | <InstallDir>/examples/empbuild |
| UDF libraries | ib_udf.so, fbudf.so | <InstallDir>/UDF |
| Additional server-side libraries | libicu*.so, libib_util.so | <InstallDir>/lib |
| Client libraries | libfbclient.so.2.5.n (network client) libfbembed.so.2.5.n (local client with embedded engine, Classic/Superclassic only). The usual symlinks (*.so.2, *.so) are created. Legacy libgds.* symlinks are also installed. | /usr/lib[64] (actually, the real stuff is in <InstallDir>/lib, but you should use the links in /usr/lib[64]). |
Windows
In the table below, <ProgramDir> refers to the Windows programs folder. This is usually C:\Program Files but may also be a different path, e.g. D:\Programmi. Likewise, <SystemDir> refers to the Windows system directory. Be sure to read the notes below the table, especially if you're running Firebird on a 64-bit Windows system.
Table 2. Firebird 2.5 component locations on Windows
| Component | File name | Default location |
|---|---|---|
| Installation directory ((referred to hereafter as <InstallDir>) | — | <ProgramDir>\Firebird\Firebird_2_5 |
| Configuration file | firebird.conf, aliases.conf, etc. | <InstallDir> |
| Release Notes and other documentation | Various files | <InstallDir>\doc |
| Firebird server | fbserver.exe (SS) or fb_inet_server.exe (CS/SC) | <InstallDir>\bin |
| Command-line tools | isql, gbak, nbackup, gsec, gfix, gstat, etc. | <InstallDir>\bin |
| Sample database | employee.fdb | <InstallDir>\examples\empbuild |
| User-defined function (UDF) libraries | ib_udf.dll, fbudf.dll | <InstallDir>\UDF |
| Additional server-side libraries | icu*.dll, ib_util.dll | <InstallDir>\bin |
| Client libraries | fbclient.dll (with an optional gds32.dll, to support legacy apps) | <InstallDir>\bin (with an optional copy in <SystemDir> – see note below table) |
The Windows system directory:
The exact path to the Windows System directory depends on your Windows version. Typical locations on 32-bit systems are:
- for Windows 95/98/ME: C:\Windows\System
- for Windows NT/2000: C:\WINNT\System32
- for Windows XP: C:\Windows\System32
For 64-bit systems, read the next note.
Important notice for 64-bit Windows users: On 64-bit Windows systems, the Program Files directory is reserved for 64-bit programs. If you try to install a 32-bit application into that folder, it will be auto-redirected to a directory which – in English versions – is called Program Files (x86). In other language versions the name may be different.
In the same vein, the System32 directory is reserved for 64-bit libraries. 32-bit libraries go into SysWOW64. That's right: 64-bit libraries are in System32, 32-bit libraries in SysWOW64.
If you're not aware of this, you may have a hard time locating your 32-bit Firebird components on a 64-bit Windows system.
(Incidentally, WOW stands for Windows on Windows. Now you can also work out what 
means.)