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macOS#

Step 1. Install dependencies#

  • Install the unixODBC driver manager. We recommend using Homebrew since it is the easiest method:

    brew install unixodbc
Additional steps for using the Oracle database driver

The current Oracle driver is not supported on macOS Mojave and requires macOS Catalina

If you are working with the Oracle database, you must:

  • Install version 19.x version of the Oracle Instant Client. Either the Basic Package or the Basic Light Package is required.
  • Once the zip file is downloaded, follow the installation instructions for Installing Instant Client 19.x on macOS.

For more information on connecting to Oracle Databases look at this support article.

Additional steps for using the Snowflake driver version 1.7.0

This step is no longer necessary on version 1.8.0 of the driver and later.

Once the Snowflake driver is installed, the file ~/.local/share/rstudio/odbc/drivers/snowflake/bin/lib/rstudio.snowflakeodbc.ini must be updated to contain the following:

Terminal
[Driver]

CABundleFile=cacert.pem
ErrorMessagesPath=
LogLevel=0
LogPath=

Step 2. Install the drivers#

The drivers are installed using RStudio Desktop Pro:

  • Open RStudio Desktop Pro.
  • In the Connections pane, click New Connection.
  • Select the data source from the list.
  • Specify where the driver will be installed (the default path is /Users/<user>/.local/share/rstudio/odbc/drivers) and click Next.
  • After the installation completes, click Next. The driver has now been installed.
  • You can either:
    • Click Cancel
    • Enter the connection details to test and/or establish a connection.

Installing the drivers this way automatically updates entries in the odbcinst.ini file used by unixODBC.

  • To determine the path to the file that is used, run the following in the terminal:

    Terminal
    $ odbcinst -j

The output may resemble:

Terminal
$ unixODBC 2.3.7
$ DRIVERS............: /usr/local/etc/odbcinst.ini
$ SYSTEM DATA SOURCES: /usr/local/etc/odbc.ini
$ FILE DATA SOURCES..: /usr/local/etc/ODBCDataSources
$ USER DATA SOURCES..: /Users/username/.odbc.ini
$ SQLULEN Size.......: 8
$ SQLLEN Size........: 8
$ SQLSETPOSIROW Size.: 8

The DRIVERS... entry shows the location of the odbcinst.ini file.

Step 3. Testing database connectivity#

Database connectivity can be tested directly from within RStudio Desktop pro:

  • Open RStudio Desktop Pro.
  • In the Connections pane, click New Connection.
  • Select the data source from the list.
  • Enter the requested information and click Test.
  • If prompted, enter the database password.
Configure ODBC DSNs for testing and making database connections

If you prefer, you can also set up ODBC DSNs to test and make database connections.

  • DSNs can be defined in ~/.odbc.ini. For example:

    File: ~/. odbc.ini
    [test]
Driver = SQLServer
Server = my.server.name
Database = dbname
Port = 1433

  • Then you may access the DSN directly from the New Connection dialog or test from the terminal with the following:

    Terminal
    $ isql test

Uninstallation#

The drivers are uninstalled using RStudio Desktop Pro:

  1. Open RStudio Desktop Pro.
  2. Within the Connections pane, click New Connection.
  3. Select the data source from the list.
  4. Click Uninstall....
  5. When prompted to uninstall the driver, click Yes.

This removes the driver files and deletes the driver entry from odbcinst.ini.