I was successful in getting ODBC connectivity working between a MySQL database server, Apple's ODBC Administrator and OpenOffice.org's database component. I'm using Mac OS X 10.4.3 and OpenOffice.org 2.0 (OOo2) in the X11 environment. These instructions may help others do the same thing.
I will assume that you already have a working MySQL server.
Download mysql-connector-odbc-3.51.12-apple-darwin8.2.0-powerpc.pkg from www.mysql.com and install the package.
Next, open ODBC Adminstrator. Go to the "Drivers" tab. The MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver should be there. The default location for the driver is: /usr/lib/libmyodbc3.dylib , make sure this is the case. Use the "Configure..." button if you need to make changes.
Note: It is important to UNLOCK the lock icon in the lower left side of the main ODBC Administrator window. You'll need your Mac OS adminsistrator password for this. If you do not unlock, any changes you make to the configuration will not be saved.
Go to the "User DSN" tab. Click on the entry in the window to select it then, click on the "Configure..." button. The Data Source Name (DSN) will be already filled in: myodbc. Change this to something more descriptive, I used the MySQL databasename that I will connect to. In the next text box, enter a short description of that database.
Below, in the same window, there should be a single Key/Value entry however, you'll need more than this to make this all work. The single Key/Value pair should be: SERVER/localhost. This is fine, leave it there and enter three more Key/Value pairs.
Click on the "Add" button. Add a DATABASE key. For its value, enter the name of a MYSQL database on your local server. Click the "Add" button again to add USER/<mysqlusername> and PASSWORD/<mysqluserpassword> Key/Value pairs. Make sure that you apply your changes with the "Apply" button, or Save them when you quit ODBC Administrator.
Now, go ahead an open OOo2. Open a new Database document, the Database Wizard will appear. Select the "Connect to an existing database" radio button. In the pulldown menu, select the "MySQL" menu item. Click the Next button.
In this window select the "Connect using ODBC" radio button. Click the Next button.
In this (third) window, click on the "Browse" button. The "User DSN" that entered a couple of steps ago should appear. Select it and click "OK". Then, go on to the next window.
In this window enter the USERNAME value ("root" in my case) that you entered in ODBC Administrator. Put a checkmark in the "Password required" checkbox. Go to the next window.
On this final window I left everything at the default values. Click on the "Finish" button. A "Save" dialog will open. Name and save your new database document.
Now, your document will open. On the left side of the window, the "Forms" icon will be highlighted. Click on the "Tables" icon, an authentication dialog will open. The mysqlusername should already be filled in. Tab down to the "Password" field and enter the password. Click "OK".
The tables in your selected database should appear in the lower part of the window. If this happens, congratulations. Double-clicking on the table names will allow you to browse the contents of your tables.
I haven't learned much about actually working with the data but, at least the connectivity is good between OOo2 and MySQL.
PowerBook G4 12-inch Mac OS X (10.4.3) 1.25GB RAM
