The MonetDB database is a high-performance database kernel designed primarily for query-intensive applications. Originally developed by the CWI database research group and now maintained by MonetDB Solutions, this database system is open-source and can be downloaded and built easily. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up and build the MonetDB database system with ease.

Getting Started with MonetDB

Before diving into the installation process, ensure you have the necessary software installed on your system. MonetDB requires specific packages depending on your operating system, which we’ll outline below.

Required Packages for Fedora and Ubuntu

• Fedora:
  • Required: bison, cmake, gcc, pkgconf, python3
  • Optional but recommended: bzip2-devel, lz4-devel, openssl-devel, pcre-devel, readline-devel, xz-devel, zlib-devel
• Ubuntu/Debian:
  • Required: bison, cmake, gcc, pkg-config, python3
  • Optional but recommended: libbz2-dev, liblz4-dev, libpcre3-dev, libreadline-dev, liblzma-dev, libssl-dev, zlib1g-dev

Building MonetDB

MonetDB uses the CMake program for building. Here’s a simple way to get started:

Step 1: Create a Build Directory

It is recommended to create a build directory that is outside the source tree to avoid messiness in your source files.

Step 2: Run CMake Commands

Inside your newly created build directory, run the following commands:

cmake [options] pathtomonetdbsource
cmake --build .
cmake --build . --target install

Step 3: Installing in a Custom Directory

If you wish to install MonetDB in a directory that is different from the default /usr/local, use the following command:

cmake -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=pathtoinstallmonetdb pathtomonetdbsource
cmake --build .
cmake --build . --target install

Understanding Build Options

When you run the CMake command, you have various options to tailor the build process. Think of this as customizing a cake; you can choose the flavors and decorations that suit your needs. Here’s a brief overview of some build options:

• ASSERT: Enable assertions for debugging (default=ON for development sources).
• CINTEGRATION: Support for C UDFs (default=ON except on Windows).
• WITH_OPENSSL: Include support for secure client-server connections.
• SANITIZER: Enable the GCC address sanitizer (default=OFF).

Troubleshooting Common Issues

While setting up and building MonetDB, you may encounter some challenges. Here are a few troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure that all required packages are installed. If a package is missing, the build process may fail.
• Check the CMake version; it must be at least version 3.12 for MonetDB to build successfully.
• If you experience build failures, refer to the logs for any errors or warnings that may give insights into the problem.

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Final Thoughts

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Reporting Bugs

If you encounter any issues while using MonetDB, please report bugs in the GitHub repository. Note that Pull Requests are not accepted, so refer to the developers page for more information.