What alternatives to MS Access exist for database management on the Ubuntu platform (LibreOffice Base isn't cutting it)

Question

I have a web-based MySQL database, which is very important. I have used the MySQL Connector to allow me to use an MS Access database to query, and clean up my database, through an ODBC connection.

Having moved my work computer to Ubuntu Linux (finally) I was trying to avoid using a VirtualBox VM to host a Windows installation to continue using MS Access, since there are so many tools available for the Linux Platform.

Yesterday, I installed the MySQL Connector for LibreOffice from the Ubuntu Software Center, and planned to move forward with LibreOffice, just like I did with MS Access - but LibreOffice Base doesn't have any ability to do update queries (unless you are writing our SQL query by hand) - and it's still kinda clunky... IMHO.

What other database management tools exist for a Ubuntu desktop, so I can query, update, and report my web-based MySQL database, (and can completely avoid Windows and MS Access, going forward)?

Thank you in advance!

Solution

I used MS Access a lot when working. Since retiring I looked for something like Access but did not find anything. Just for info what I have done.

So I decided to learn python. But the learning curve seems pretty steep, maybe oldfred is not so young anymore. But it did not become just learning python, but learning a python editor - geany, learning first gtk and its editor and then I switched to qt4 and its editor-qt4 designer and a separate sql editor -sqliteman to create or test sql code. I am using sqlite, but the connector code is just a little different.

So MS Access is an integrated enviroment and works together. Just about everything else is not. You have to choose a language, a database, a gui, and a sql editor. And there is no report writer, but you can manually create pdf or HTML code for reports. I just export csv files and import to a spreadsheet as that is an easier way to create sub-totals and grand totals.

If a hobby like I am you can experiment, but if this is a business I cannot really recommend trying to roll your own MS Access.

The navicat suggestion looks interesting, but have not tried that. If I was still working I might spend the money to try it. Maybe someone has more info?

Comments

[oldfred]

I tried kexi, but it only works with its tables in MySQL. It cannot use existing databases.