sqsh - smart replacement of rough isql

isql is a tool allowing to work with Sybase from command line, but it is not a very convenient tool. It is not possible to use history of commands and even command line editing doesn't work! Fortunately there are still hard-working programmers,who for free develop great tools!

This time I want to write about sqsh that can be downloaded from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sqsh

The most important features that I like very much are:

• command line editing (you can use left & right arrows)
• history, that is saved even between sessions
• executing the commands after ";" (you don't have to type "go" - just end the query with ";" and it will run)
• compatibility in the scope of options with isql

The only part that makes some problems is, that to have it working you need to install it and the installation must be done starting with source code (BTW - this is also an advantage)

Installation step by step with all the problems that I have met:

Copy the sources and un-tar them:

tar xvf sqsh-2.5.16.1.tgz

This command will create a folder with source code. Change directory to it and execute a configure command:

./configure

In my case this resulted with error message:

configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH

See `config.log' for more details

So I needed to read the config.log file. I have found entry like:

## ----------- ##

## Core tests. ##

## ----------- ##

configure:2244: checking build system type

configure:2258: result: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

configure:2278: checking host system type

configure:2291: result: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu

configure:2467: checking for gcc

configure:2497: result: no

configure:2560: checking for cc

configure:2607: result: no

configure:2663: checking for cl.exe

configure:2693: result: no

configure:2717: error: in `/opt/sap/sqsh-2.5':

configure:2719: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH

See `config.log' for more details

Ok, so I needed to install compiler. I have found firt available compilers:

dnf search gcc

selected one of them and installed:

dnf install gcc.x86_64

Now I could to proceed with configure:

./configure

Unfortunately this ended with error again:

checking Open Client installation... no

configure: error: Unable to locate Sybase installation. Check your SYBASE environment variable setting.

That error is much easier to solve. As my installation was done on root account, the Sybase variables where not set, This will be solved by command  (use correct path to SYBASE.sh as it is in your installation):

. /opt/sap/SYBASE.sh

and now the third trial of configure

./configure

configure: Completed successfully. Please run 'make clean && make' to build sqsh.

Good sign :) The next step is make:

make

Unfortunatelly, error was thrown again:

/include -I/usr/local/include -DSYB_LP64   -c -o cmd_do.o cmd_do.c

In file included from cmd_do.c:40:0:

sqsh_readline.h:29:31: fatal error: readline/readline.h: No such file or directory

compilation terminated.

<builtin>: recipe for target 'cmd_do.o' failed

This error states that the source code for the package readline is not available. Source packages have the "devel" in the name of the package. So i first looked at available packages:

dnf provides readline

and next installed those two:

dnf install readline-6.3-6.fc23.x86_64

dnf install readline-devel-6.3-6.fc23.x86_64

Time to try the make again:

make

This time no errors appeared, so I could continue with the installtion:

make install

Good - time to test! To start sqsh command like this one should be executed:

sqsh -Usa -SSAP01 -PPassw0rd 

If during the start error like this one should be recorded:

sqsh: error while loading shared libraries: libsybblk64.so: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

than - you forgot to define the SYBASE variables. Execute just again (use correct path to SYBASE.sh as it is in your installation):

.   /opt/sap/SYBASE.sh

To display basic help run:

sqsh --help

To read more detailed manual see:

http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/precise/man1/sqsh.1.html

Thank you Łukasz for sharinng!