Could you please let me know regarding where we can get VBISAM for RHEL 7

[Santanu Ghosh]

We are using GNU COBOL Version 2.0 rw-branch. During create INDEXED file we got BDB errors hence we need to use –with-vbisam option.

Please let me know the steps for use the above mentiined option.

[Klaus Schäfer]

Could you please give us the erros ? I used bdb for years with datasets with millions of records and had no problems. Meanwhile i use vbisam and it works too. May be, you have an error that occurs with vbisam too. As attachement the vbisam i use. I can't remember where i got it - but with x86 it works perfect - with armhf i have problems.
Good luck.

[Santanu Ghosh]

Thanks a lot for your quick help.

Only need to install the above mentioned vbisam.tgz file right.

Please let me know after that how to proceed furthe.

[Santanu Ghosh]

We are using ORACLE (Release 12.2.0.1.0) database. We are using Pro*Cob and the maximum COBOL Programs are using EXEC SQL for retrive the data from Oracle Database.

We are using only GNU COBOL Version 2.0 rw-branch.
**(cobc (GnuCOBOL) 2.0.0). **

We have observed the INDEXED file handler as below with used of cobc -i:
INDEXED file handler : Berkeley DB 5.3.21: (May 11, 2012)

Actually got following error when tried to OPEN/READ an INDEXED file from a COBOL program.

** BDB0196 Encrypted checksum: no encryption key specified
BDB0210 xyz.dat: metadata page checksum error
**

This INDEXED file created from a master datafile through another COBOL program.

Thanks in advance for your valuable and great help.

[Mickey White]

Santanu did GnuCOBOL create the INDEXED file?

[Santanu Ghosh]

Yes, GNU COBOL 2.0 Version rw-barnch has been created the INDEXED file with a input data file (.dat) which populated from ORACLE database table..

When OPEN/READ that INDEXED file from another COBOL program then got these errors BDB0196 and BDB0210 .

[Brian Tiffin]

which populated from ORACLE database table

What does that mean, Santanu. ESQL? Pull from Pro*Cob into GnuCOBOL or ??

Edit: Ignore that part, read the other message, Santanu - Pro*Cob it is.

---

I'd still be curious what the utilities have to say...

What messages come out of the Berkeley utilities like db_verify and db_dump when used on the data sets?

Curious,
Blue

---

More edits...

Oh, and for the VBISAM I test with here, it is the copy from the Open Source COBOL Consortium in Japan.

https://github.com/opensourcecobol/opensource-cobol

The vbisam folder is a standalone configure make install, but you'll need to check out the whole tree, (or figure out the github API options that can checkout just a subfolder).

Cheers

[Santanu Ghosh]

How to see the messages which come out of the Berkeley utilities like db_verify and db_dump when used on Oracle data sets? - Please suggest.

[Simon Sobisch]

A note from Ron on this issue (got in by mail):

VBISAM Is better than BDB for handling INDEXED files.
D/C-ISAM is the best if you need to be Microfocus compatible.

So I would always recommend using BDB only as a last choice.

But unless there is some name conflict with the Oracle client library and BDB it should work.

[Santanu Ghosh]

As per our requirement it will better to use that option for INDEXED file which is Microfocus compatible.

How to check Oracle client library name which conflict with BDB - Please guide.

[Ron Norman]

Micro Focus uses a version of C-ISAM.
There is something else called D-ISAM which has a cost and comes from http://www.isamcentral.com/ . I have used D-ISAM for 20 years in my commercial software.
D-ISAM does handle Microfocus INDEXED files as long as they are nto IDX8 format.

I've also fix issues with VB-ISAM to better support the COBOL status '02' which means 'Duplicates key ahead'. However VB-ISAM files are not 100% compatible with what Micro focus uses.

If you send or attach some sample COBOL code that is haing the problem with BDB and Pro*Cob (Oracle) I could test it out. *

I have attached a copy of VB-ISAM 2.1.1 which I updated a couple of years ago.

[Klaus Siebke]

Here are two small changes to make VBISAM 2.1.1 compatible with gcc 14 (introduced in Fedora 40).

See post: https://sourceforge.net/p/gnucobol/discussion/cobol/thread/49d76dc54e/?limit=25#1a3c

isrecover.c

diff -u ./old/isrecover.c ./new/isrecover.c
--- ./old/isrecover.c   2010-05-01 14:51:10.000000000 +0200
+++ ./new/isrecover.c   2024-04-26 21:31:20.000000000 +0200
@@ -554,7 +554,8 @@
 ircvuniqueid (VB_CHAR *pcbuffer)
 {
     vb_rtd_t *vb_rtd =VB_GET_RTD;
-    off_t   tuniqueid;
+ //   off_t   tuniqueid;        §§§KS
+    long long int tuniqueid;
     int ihandle, ipid;

     ihandle = inl_ldint (pcbuffer);

ischeck.c

diff -u ./old/ischeck.c ./new/ischeck.c --color
--- ./old/ischeck.c 2015-02-24 21:35:54.000000000 +0100
+++ ./new/ischeck.c 2024-04-26 21:30:58.000000000 +0200
@@ -144,8 +144,10 @@
     return 0;
 }

+//static int              §§§KS
+//ipreamble (ihandle)     §§§KS
 static int
-ipreamble (ihandle)
+ipreamble (int ihandle)
 {
     vb_rtd_t *vb_rtd =VB_GET_RTD;
     struct DICTINFO *psvbptr;