Minibase Installation Guide

How to Get the Files

The source code for Minibase and its libraries, and the homework assignments are only available to instructors. Contact Raghu Ramakrishnan for the password. You can get the files from the ftp site: ftp.cs.wisc.edu. Log in as "minibase", and use the password. The files will be in directory pub/instructors/minibase-2.0. Compiled versions of Minibase (without the source code), the source code for Microbase and the Minibase documentation are available to anyone. You can get the files from the ftp site: ftp.cs.wisc.edu. Log in as "anonymous". The files are in directory minibase/pub/public.

The Packages Available

mini_doc. The html documents you are currently reading.
minibase. The database system and three viewing programs. These viewers are:
- The graphical user interface to the database.
- A tool for translating QBE queries into SQL.
- A tool for handling ER normalization (relational design).
minilite. The database system without the three viewers. The interface to the database is textual.
vis2. Two more viewers. One for viewing B-tree performance, and the other for viewing buffer manager performance.
mini_hwk. Homework assignments and solutions for an introductory course in databases, using the Minibase project.
microbase. A simplified version of the database system.

Explanation of File Suffixes

nobin.tar.gz. Uncompiled source code. Compilation instructions are contained in each package.
sun5.tar.gz. Compiled version for SPARC Solaris 2.5.1. with no source code.
sun4.tar.gz. Compiled version for SPARC Sun OS4 with no source code.
solarX86.tar.gz. Compiled version for PC Solaris 2.5.1. with no source code.
hpux.tar.gz. Compiled version for HP-UX with no source code.
linux.tar.gz. Compiled version for PC Linux with no source code.

Special Installation Instructions

When "minilite-2.0" is installed it is called "minibase-2.0".
Before "mini_hwk" or "vis2" is compiled you need to have either "minibase-2.0" or "minilite-2.0" installed and compiled. The "mini_hwk", "vis2" and "minibase-2.0" root directories should be in the same place (i.e., have the same parent directory).
If you use "minilite-2.0", then the homework that requires viewers will not work.
If you use a precompiled version of "minibase-2.0", some compilation still needs to be done. Follow the directions given with the package.

Raghu Ramakrishnan [raghu@cs.wisc.edu]

February 13, 1997