This is Firebird 3.0.x is imported from debian testing [[http://packages.debian.org/source/testing/firebird3.0|repository]] The stable package (version 3.0.x) for Ubuntu LTS releases is located into [[https://launchpad.net/~mapopa/+archive/firebird3.0|this]] repository (ppa) The repository must be added this way, {{{ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mapopa/firebird3.0 sudo apt-get update }}} Here is how you can inspect the firebird3.0 related packages {{{ apt-cache search firebird3.0 }}} Install the super server package (you will be asked about the SYSDBA password) {{{ sudo apt-get install firebird3.0-server The following extra packages will be installed: firebird3.0-common firebird3.0-common-doc firebird3.0-utils libfbclient2 libib-util Suggested packages: firebird3.0-doc The following NEW packages will be installed: firebird3.0-common firebird3.0-common-doc firebird3.0-server firebird3.0-utils libfbclient2 libib-util 0 upgraded, 6 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 4,889kB of archives. After this operation, 13.1MB of additional disk space will be used. Do you want to continue [Y/n]? }}} You need to configure the package after is installed {{{ sudo dpkg-reconfigure firebird3.0-server }}} Install the examples and dev files {{{ sudo apt-get install firebird3.0-examples firebird-dev }}} The employee.fdb archive will be under this dir /usr/share/doc/firebird3.0-examples/examples/empbuild/ {{{ cd /usr/share/doc/firebird3.0-examples/examples/empbuild/ sudo gunzip employee.fdb.gz sudo chown firebird.firebird employee.fdb sudo mv employee.fdb /var/lib/firebird/3.0/data/ }}} Connect to database using the isql-fb console {{{ $ isql-fb SQL> connect "/var/lib/firebird/3.0/data/employee.fdb " user 'SYSDBA' password 'SYSDBApassword'; }}} If all is ok then you will have the message with what database connected and what user and ready to use sql prompt {{{ Database: "/var/lib/firebird/3.0/data/employee.fdb ", User: SYSDBA SQL> }}} Now you can check the server version and the tables {{{ SQL> show tables; COUNTRY CUSTOMER DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE_PROJECT JOB PROJECT PROJ_DEPT_BUDGET SALARY_HISTORY SALES SQL> show version; ISQL Version: LI-T3.0.0.28869 Firebird 3.0 Unstable Server version: Firebird/Linux/AMD/Intel/x64 (access method), version "LI-T3.0.0.28869 Firebird 3.0 Unstable" Firebird/Linux/AMD/Intel/x64 (remote server), version "LI-T3.0.0.28869 Firebird 3.0 Unstable/tcp (borkstationx64)/P13" Firebird/Linux/AMD/Intel/x64 (remote interface), version "LI-T3.0.0.28869 Firebird 3.0 Unstable/tcp (borkstationx64)/P13" on disk structure version 12.0}}} To create a new database {{{ SQL> create database "/var/lib/firebird/3.0/data/first_database.fdb" user 'SYSDBA' password 'SYSDBAPASSWORD'; SQL> connect "/var/lib/firebird/3.0/data/first_database.fdb" user 'SYSDBA' password 'masterkey'; Commit current transaction (y/n)?y Committing. Database: "/var/lib/firebird/3.0/data/first_database.fdb", User: SYSDBA SQL> }}} If you want to create a simple table then insert 1-2 rows and select from it here is one example {{{ SQL> CREATE TABLE TEST (ID INT NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY, NAME VARCHAR(20)); SQL> show tables; TEST SQL> INSERT INTO TEST VALUES (1, 'John'); SQL> INSERT INTO TEST VALUES (2, 'Joe'); SQL> select * from test; ID NAME ============ ==================== 1 John 2 Joe }}} To quit the isql-fb console type quit {{{ SQL> quit CON>; }}} For a good open source GUI admin tool you might check the flamerobin administration tool included in ubuntu repository can be installed by an simple {{{ sudo apt-get install flamerobin }}} Then use it from the menu Applications->Programming-> FlameRobin To use firebird with php , you will need the php5 driver {{{ sudo apt-get install php5-interbase libapache2-mod-php5 sudo php5enmod interbase sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart }}} Next if you need to install an php administration tool like Firebird Web Admin {{{ sudo apt-get install git-core git clone git://github.com/mariuz/firebirdwebadmin.git mv firebirdwebadmin /var/www/html/firebirdwebadmin }}} and load it in the browser [[http://localhost/firebirdwebadmin|http://localhost/firebirdwebadmin]] It should look like this [[https://plus.google.com/photos/yourphotos?pid=6150124576638928626&oid=105567297772267099132 |screen shot]] =Other Firebird Related Guides= You can start with the main Firebird [[http://www.firebirdsql.org/en/documentation/|documentation]]. To use Ruby language with firebird I wrote a [[http://mapopa.blogspot.com/2009/02/fireruby-howto-start-with-firebird-and.html | tutorial]] on howto install the stable driver. For Ruby on Rails i wrote [[http://mapopa.blogspot.com/2009/02/installing-firebird-active-record-for.html |howto]] install the Firebird Active Record Adapter and start [[http://mapopa.blogspot.com/2009/02/rails-on-firebird-status-after-adapter.html | an application]]. To use python you must use [[http://pypi.python.org/pypi/fdb/ | the official ]] stable firebird python driver and [[http://pythonhosted.org/fdb/ | here]] is howto install and use the driver. For [[http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/lucid/man1/lazarus-ide.1.html|Lazarus IDE]] i wrote an [[http://mapopa.blogspot.com/2010/04/using-lazarus-ide-with-firebird-in.html | visual guide]] on howto use the database aware components in a simple application that uses Firebird. Lua Language does have a [[http://code.google.com/p/fbclient/|good driver]] and there is a [[http://mapopa.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-started-with-firebird-and-lua.html|Getting started]] guide with firebird on ubuntu Server Side Javascript is served with the help of a pure Javascript [[https://npmjs.org/package/node-firebird | nodejs driver]]