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I am trying to connect to a mysql database through R using RODBC on my mac (mavericks) but after a stupid number of hours of effort, I still can't get it working. When I try to connect to a database, RODBC throws this error (error message is so terse, I don't know what it means):

ch <- odbcConnect("mydatabasename") "Warning messages: 1: In odbcDriverConnect("DSN=mydatabase") : [RODBC] ERROR: state H, code 0, message [unixODBC][ 2: In odbcDriverConnect("DSN=mydatabasename") : ODBC connection failed"

I got to where I am at by following the instructions at the following blog (install unixODBC): http://hiltmon.com/blog/2013/09/18/setup-odbc-for-r-on-os-x/

It shows me that I am connected, if I enter:

isql -v mydatabasename

I installed R from source and the install worked with no noticeable errors, but now when I try to connect to a database from Rstudio, with:

ch <- odbcConnect("mydatabasename")

I get the ODBC connection failed error. Can anyone help me understand what this error means? Or how I could potentially fix it? Or who I can talk with to get some help?

You would keep me from shooting myself. haha! But seriously... you would.

captain ahab
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1 Answers1

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I had exactly the same problem as you've reported. My ODBC connection was using the MySQL ODBC 5.3 Unicode Driver (/usr/local/lib/libmyodbc5w.so) Although I could connect with iSQL, actual SQL commands were returning garbage.

I tried changing my odbc.ini to use the the ANSI driver instead (/usr/local/lib/libmyodbc5a.so). It worked and now RODBC can connect to my MySQL database.

Alan Leavy
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