ODBC on OSX is difficult. Here’s how I got it working:

ODBC requires a couple of different pieces, specifically:

  1. A data source – in this case FMSA8
  2. A data client, we’ll look at Excel on a Mac
  3. A database dependent ODBC driver, we’re using the SequeLink driver provided by FileMaker
  4. An ODBC Manager that handles all of the ODBC drivers on a system

First copy the ODBC SequeLink driver from the FileMaker install CD to your system. (Also see the document “Installing FileMaker 8 ODBC and JDBC Client Drivers”, here: http://www.filemaker.com/support/product/documentation.html)

fm.odbc.sequelink.instructions

We now have our database-dependent driver installed. Our next step is the ODBC Manager. Apple provides /Applications/Utilities/ODBC Administrator which is supposed to work in 10.4.

One of the unobvious requirements with ODBC Administrator is that the /Library/ODBC/obdc.ini that gets created must be writable by the user that you’re running ODBC Administrator as.

First Authenticate and Add a driver by specifying a “Driver file” of /Library/ODBC/SequeLink.bundle/Contents/MacOS/ivslk18.dylib

Set “Define as:” to “System”.

Click OK.

Now Add a System DSN. Specify the driver that we just identified and make up a name without spaces. The minimum key/value pairs to be defined are:

Host “the computer name or ip address on which FM Server resides”

Port “default of 2399″

ServerDataSource “the name of a database on the FM Server without it’s file extension”

(Others possible values are UID, Password, ReadOnly, etc.)

Click OK

ODBC Administrator does not provide a method for testing a connection.

Some additional machinations within FileMaker are required before we can connect ove our ODBC connection. We must create a user within the desired FileMaker database that belongs in a “Privilege Set” that has the “Access via ODBC / JDBC (fmxdbc)” Extended Privilege. (File | Define | Accounts & Privileges). Additionally, you should ensure that within FileMaker Server Admin | Configure | Clients, “Allow ODBC and JDBC connections” is checked.

Please note that when using FileMaker Server Advanced, within FileMaker Pro | Sharing | ODBC/JDBC, the “ODBC/JDBC Sharing” option does not need to be turned on, and likely should be turned Off.

Isaac Vetter

Additional Notes:

An alternative to Apple’s ODBC Administrator is:

OpenLink ODBC Administrator 3.52:

OpenLinkODBCAdministrator3.52

Using fink, libiodbc is an easy install: http://pdb.finkproject.org/pdb/package.php/libiodbc

See http://del.icio.us/isaacvetter/filemaker+odbc