Activerecord sql server frustrations

First off, i’m on ubuntu trying to connect to sql server 2008…

I installed the latest version of the activerecord-sqlserver-adapter
gem (2.3.4). in my database.yml i first tried connecting with the
mode: ADO, but got this message:

Please use version 2.3.1 of the adapter for ADO connections. Future
versions may support ADO.NET.

Ok… so i try swapping my database.yml with this:

development:
adapter: sqlserver
mode: odbc
dsn: Driver={SQL Server Native
Client};Server=xxx.xx.x.xxx;Database=testing;Uid=sa;Pwd=*******;

now i get this message when i try to db:migrate:

S1090 (0) [unixODBC][Driver Manager]Invalid string or buffer length

i did a gem install for odbc-rails, but still getting the same. trying
to find solutions on the net is frustrating because there’s such a mix
of different ways to connect (ado, odbc, dbi, etc) and some are from
the perspective of connecting from windows or mac osx… to compound
things a lot of the stuff is older so i’m constantly wondering if
there’s a new better way…

i’m used to connecting to mysql painlessly… i don’t know much about
odbc, dbi, ado or any of that. i just want to know what the best and
most current way to connect to a sql server db is.

Help me please! I just want to start coding!

Stuart

Unfortunately I have no advice to offer, but I can say that I am
mightily interested in this question. I will undoubtedly be trying to
hook up to a MSSQL DB at some point, and everything I have read so far
looks INCREDIBLY painful. :frowning:

Good luck.

Finally some luck!!!

I followed this and finally got my migration to run:

http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/database-support/ms-sql#dsn-less_connection