How To Fix “Unable to Install msodbcsql17 on Ubuntu 18.04” Error

In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on how to fix the “Unable to Install msodbcsql17 on Ubuntu 18.04” error. This issue is common among users trying to install Microsoft’s ODBC driver for SQL Server (msodbcsql17) on Ubuntu 18.04.

Understanding the Error

Before we delve into the solution, let’s understand what msodbcsql17 is. It is Microsoft’s ODBC driver for SQL Server, which allows applications to connect to SQL Server and execute SQL queries. The error “Unable to Install msodbcsql17 on Ubuntu 18.04” typically arises due to repository or dependency issues.

Solution Overview

The solution involves adding Microsoft’s Ubuntu 18.04 repository, updating the package list, and then installing msodbcsql17. If there are any dependency issues, we will also address them.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Add Microsoft’s Ubuntu 18.04 Repository

First, we need to add Microsoft’s Ubuntu 18.04 repository to our system’s list of repositories. This is done using the curl and apt-key commands.

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo apt-key add -

The curl command fetches the Microsoft repository key, and sudo apt-key add - adds it to the list of trusted keys.

Next, we add the repository to the list of sources:

echo "deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/ubuntu/18.04/prod bionic main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-release.list

echo prints the repository address, and sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-release.list writes it to the file mssql-release.list in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ directory.

Step 2: Update Package List

Now, we need to update our system’s package list to include the packages from the newly added repository. This is done using the sudo apt update command.

sudo apt update

Step 3: Install msodbcsql17

With the repository added and the package list updated, we can now install msodbcsql17 using the sudo apt install command.

sudo apt install msodbcsql17

This command installs the msodbcsql17 package.

Troubleshooting Dependency Issues

If you encounter dependency issues while installing msodbcsql17, you can try the following solutions:

Solution 1: Install libodbc1 and unixodbc

The libodbc1 and unixodbc packages are dependencies for msodbcsql17. If they are missing, you can install them using the sudo apt install command.

sudo apt-get install -y libodbc1
sudo apt update
sudo apt install unixodbc

Solution 2: Remove and Reinstall msodbcsql17

If the above solution doesn’t work, you can try removing msodbcsql17 and then reinstalling it.

sudo apt-get remove msodbcsql17
sudo apt-get install msodbcsql17 -y

Solution 3: Install libodbc1 and unixodbc

If you’re still encountering issues, you can try installing libodbc1 and unixodbc again.

sudo apt install libodbc1
sudo apt install unixodbc

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve provided a detailed guide on how to fix the “Unable to Install msodbcsql17 on Ubuntu 18.04” error. We hope this guide has been helpful. If you encounter any issues, feel free to ask for help in the comments section below.