General Reference > Getting Started Guide > Installing Zen for Linux-based Systems
Installing Zen for Linux-based Systems
The following topics explain how to install and uninstall Zen Enterprise Server, Cloud Server, and Zen Client on Linux and Raspbian.
Before You Install on Linux or Raspbian
Before installing or upgrading Zen Enterprise Server, Cloud Server, Edge Server, or Client, review the following information:
System requirements listed in the Zen release notes, readme_zen.htm, which also includes other late-breaking updates that may not be included in the user documentation.
Preparing to Install Zen – Important information, including platform-specific notes.
You must be logged in as root to install any of the products. If you are installing from a CD, you must be at the CD root directory.
If you have any trouble with an installation, see Troubleshooting After Installation.
Full and Client Installations on Linux-Based Systems
Zen offers the following 64-bit full and client installations:
TAR packages for Linux and Raspbian
A full installation includes the engine and client files, utilities, and the complete user documentation. Client installations provide only files needed to support a client, including utilities and documentation. If you have 32-bit applications, support is provided as an additional client access installation. The following table lists the installation packages.
Zen Product
Installation
Contains
Enterprise Server 64-bit
Full
Engine and client files, utilities, and documentation.
Edge Server 32-bit
(Raspbian only)
Subset of full server
Engine and client files, a subset of CLI utilities, no documentation. See Utilities on Raspbian for the list of items provided.
Cloud Server 64-bit
Full
Engine and client files, utilities, and documentation.
Client 64-bit
Client
Client files, utilities, and documentation.
Client 32-bit
(Raspbian only)
Subset of client
Client files, a subset of CLI utilities, no documentation. See Utilities on Raspbian for the list of items provided.
Client Access 32-bit
(Linux only)
Client
Client files and limited 32-bit utilities. Installed after one of the other three products to enable database access for 32-bit applications.
Note: Glibc and stdc++ packages are prerequisites for the Client Access installation. Before installing Client Access, you can add them from the repository of your Linux distribution using a yum command:
yum install glibc.i686 libstdc++.i686
Utilities on Raspbian
On Raspbian systems, Zen provides a subset of the command line utilities that are available in full installations. These utilities consist of the following:
bcfg
btadmin
clipaadm
dsnadd
psregedit
pvddl
bdu
butil
dbdefrag
isql
psregsvr
pvnetpass
bmon
clilcadm
dbmaint
licgetauth
pvdbpass
rbldcli
Connecting from Linux-Based Clients to Windows Enterprise Server or Cloud Server
The Server Message Block (SMB) protocol enables network access to the Zen MicroKernel Engine from a Linux or Raspbian client at the Btrieve file level. You can find information about SMB-compatible file sharing at www.samba.org. For more information on remote Btrieve-level access, see Supported Path Formats for Samba.
If your database server engine fails to meet certain installation requirements, your applications may receive the status code “3031: Linux requester cannot connect to this server,” indicating a client-server incompatibility. In some cases, you may receive “94: The application encountered a permission error.”
Installing Zen Using TAR
The tape archive (TAR) format allows you to install Zen on Linux and Raspbian. The following topics explain how to install Zen products using TAR:
If you have any trouble with installation, see Troubleshooting After Installation.
Installing Zen Enterprise Server of Cloud Server for Linux and Raspbian - TAR
The name of the Zen server installation package uses the conventions in the following table.
Installation Type
Platform
Package Name
Enterprise Server 64-bit
x86-64
Zen-EnterpriseServer-linux-x86_64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Enterprise Server 64-bit
ARM64
Zen-EnterpriseServer-linux-aarch64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Cloud Server 64-bit
x86-64
Zen-CloudServer-linux-x86_64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Cloud Server 64-bit
ARM64
Zen-CloudServer-linux-aarch64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Edge Server 32-bit
ARM32
Zen-Edge-Server-linux-armhf-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
In the file name, yy.yy is a release number and zzz.zzz is a build number. See the file for its actual name.
Your installation is either a first time, with no previous version, or an upgrade to an existing installed version.
First-Time Zen Server Installation on Linux and Raspbian
The 64-bit installation scripts perform the following tasks:
Verify necessary permissions to complete install
Create user zen-svc and group zen-data if they do not exist
Sets user:group ownership to zen-svc:zen-data for the installed files if not already set
To install a Zen Server on Linux or Raspbian
1. Log in as the root user.
2. Change to the /usr/local directory.
cd /usr/local
3. Enter the following command to copy the .tar file to /usr/local.
For example, if you downloaded the installation package to /home/bholly:
cp /home/bholly/<server_package_name> .
4. Unpack the .tar file using the following command.
tar -zxf <server_package_name>
5. Change directories to the /usr/local/actianzen/etc folder where the installation scripts reside.
cd actianzen/etc
6. Run the installation script:
./install.sh
The installation is complete. For additional information, see Installing Zen Using TAR.
Upgrading a Zen Server Installation on Linux and Raspbian
If you have a previous version of Zen already installed, you must uninstall that version and then install the new Zen product. See Uninstalling Zen on Linux or Raspbian for more information.
Installing Zen Client for Linux and Raspbian - TAR
The name of the Zen Client installation package uses the conventions in the following table.
Installation Type
Platform
Package Name
Client 64-bit
x86-64
Zen-Client-linux-x86_64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Client 64-bit
ARM64
Zen-Client-linux-aarch64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Client 32-bit
ARM32
Zen-Edge-Client-linux-armhf-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
Client Access 32-bit
x86
Zen-Client-Access-linux-x86_64-yy.yy.zzz.zzz.tar.gz
In the file name, yy.yy is a release number and zzz.zzz is a build number. See the file for its actual name.
Your installation is either a first time, with no previous version, or an upgrade to an existing installed version.
First-Time Client Installation on Linux and Raspbian
If you need to provide 32-bit client access for an application, you must install the Zen Client 64-bit first, and then add Zen Client Access 32-bit. Note that 32-bit client access does not apply to Raspbian systems.
To install Zen Client for Linux Using TAR
1. Log in as the root user.
2. Change to the /usr/local directory.
cd /usr/local
3. Enter the following command to copy the .tar file to /usr/local.
For example, if you downloaded the installation package to /home/bholly:
cp /home/bholly/<client_package_name> .
4. Unpack the .tar file using the following command.
tar -zxf <client_package_name>
The unpacking action creates a directory named zenclient.
5. Change directories to the /usr/local/actianzen/etc folder where the Zen installation scripts reside.
cd actianzen/etc
6. Run the installation script needed by the client package that you are installing:
Client 64-bit: ./clientinstall.sh
or
Client Access 32-bit: ./clientaccessinstall.sh
The TAR installation is complete. For additional information, see After Installing Zen on Linux or Raspbian and Setting Up Network Communications for Clients.
Upgrading a Client Installation on Linux and Raspbian
If you have a previous version of Zen already installed, you must uninstall that version and then install the new version. See Uninstalling Zen on Linux or Raspbian for more information.
After Installing Zen on Linux or Raspbian
The following topics may be useful after you install Zen on Linux or Raspbian:
Verifying Database Engine is Running
Optionally, after the installation script finishes, you can verify that the database engine is running with the ps command. To do this, enter the following at a command prompt:
ps -e | egrep mkded
Server Configuration
Generally, the default configuration settings for Zen Enterprise Server and Cloud Server are sufficient. See Configuration for settings that you may want or need to set.
If you want to explore all of the configuration settings, see Configuration Reference in Advanced Operations Guide.
Client Configuration
All configuration settings for Zen Client are discussed in Linux and Raspbian Client Configuration Properties in Advanced Operations Guide.
Linux and Raspbian Clients and the Monitor Utility
This information applies only to Linux or Raspbian clients that use a static IP address. Ignore it if you use DHCP and have a DSN to resolve named addresses.
When you monitor clients using the Zen Monitor utility, the client IP address that gets transmitted across the network originates from the hosts file. If the system name and IP have not been added to the hosts file, network communication uses the local host IP address, which is 127.0.0.1 or ::1 (a loopback address).
If you change the loopback address to the correct IP, or if you add the system name and IP to the hosts file on the client, the client name is displayed correctly in the Monitor utility.
Licensing
Once you have completed installation, you may need to update your license to increase the user count for Zen Enterprise Server or to increase the session count or data in use limits for Cloud Server. See Increase User Count or Data in Use in Zen User’s Guide.
Common Questions After Installation
If you have problems with your installation, see Troubleshooting After Installation or get help online from the Zen knowledge base at the Actian website. The following are common questions after installation of the products:
Where Do Files Reside After Installing Zen on Linux and Raspbian?
The following table lists the primary directories and files that result from installation on Linux or Raspbian. $ACTIANZEN_ROOT refers to the root directory where the files are installed. By default it is set to /usr/local/actianzen. Unless otherwise noted, the primary directories and files are the same for 32- and 64-bit products.
For an upgrade installation, your existing Zen files were updated to the latest versions.
Path from $ACTIANZEN_ROOT
Primary Files
Description
Applies to Installation of
./
LICENSE
License information
Server
./bin
 
Binary files, executables
Server and Client
./bin/plugins
 
A directory of files for utilities and documentation
Server and Client
./data/Demodata
 
Sample Zen database
Server
./data/samples
 
Sample Btrieve files, alternate collating sequence file and the DefaultDB system database
Server
./etc
 
 
Server and Client
 
.PSRegistry
Zen registry of configuration settings (this directory and its subordinate directories)
Server
 
btpasswd
User passwords file
Server
 
dbnames.cfg
Master table of database names
Server
 
odbc.ini
ODBC settings
Server and Client
./lib
 
Library of 32-bit shared objects
Server and Client
./lib64
 
Library of 64-bit shared objects
Server and Client
./log
 
Transaction log files directory
Server and Client
./man/man1
 
Man pages for the command-line utilities
Server and Client
How Do I Access the Documentation?
The documentation installed with Zen includes the following:
Man pages for command line utilities
Documentation Library
Release Notes
Man Pages
Man pages are provided for the command line utilities. To make these man pages available, add $ACTIANZEN_ROOT/man to the MANPATH environment variable.
Man pages are installed with Zen Enterprise Server, Cloud Server, and Client. Command line utilities are also covered in the user documentation.
Documentation Library
The Zen documentation library contains the complete set of user documentation, including the user documentation for the Zen engine and software development kit.
The documentation library is integrated into Zen Control Center (ZenCC). You can access the documentation library in the Welcome tab opened from the Help menu or by pressing F1 (Windows) or Shift F1 (Linux) to open context-sensitive topics.
Release Notes
The release notes in readme_zen.htm contain general information about the release, sometimes including late-breaking advice not yet covered in the user documentation. These release notes are located in the /usr/local/actianzen/docs/ directory and are linked in the Welcome tab opened from the Help menu in ZenCC. The Actian website posts the latest version of the release notes.
What If I Get Errors Trying to Start the Utilities?
See Starting ZenCC on Linux in Zen User’s Guide and Starting DDF Builder from a Command Line in DDF Builder User’s Guide.
Uninstalling Zen on Linux or Raspbian
This topic provides a table that lists the shell scripts used to remove Zen installations. The uninstalling of a TAR package is slightly different for Linux and Raspbian, as shown in the following steps.
To uninstall a Zen TAR installation on Linux and Raspbian
1. At a command prompt, log in as the root user using the su command.
2. Change directories to the /usr/local/actianzen/etc folder where the Zen installation scripts reside.
cd /usr/local/actianzen/etc
3. Use the uninstall scripts from the following table that apply to your installation.
Package To Uninstall
Scripts To Execute from /usr/local/actianzen/etc, Where They Reside
Enterprise Server 64-bit
./uninstall.sh
Client 64-bit
./clientuninstall.sh
Client Access 32-bit
(Linux only)
./clientaccessuninstall.sh
Note: Client Access should be uninstalled before uninstalling the 64-bit package to which it has been added.
 
Last modified date: 11/04/2024