Re: Open Source?

[...snipped...] >>>Judging from the response thus far, one person would be interested in >>>using Open Source versions of the Informix databases, but no-one can be >>>lured into helping with such an effort. And it isn't even interesting >>>to speculate on whether it could happen? OK, that's fair enough. >>>Dreadfully disappointing, but fair enough. >>I didn't respond because I think (IMHO) that the probablity of such an >>occurance >>as Open Sourecing one of their engines is extremely close to zero. >You may be right. I'm quite confident I'm right. If it happens I'll send you a $5.00 bill. >>It took Oracle releasing to get them to do a port to an Open Source OS >Just to set the record straight: >Actually, Informix released product on Linux about 6 months ahead of >oracle, in July >1998 at the Informix Worldwide User Conference in Seattle. >Oracle pre-announced vapour-ware during the week before that-- presumably >because they got wind of Informix's impending release of product. Then I stand corrected. I was on the informix-linux list, and I recall at least KNOWING there was going to be an Oracle port before I knew with any certainly that their would be an Informix port. But that's all water under the bridge... [...snipped...] >>release isn't really their. If you want to look at the code for a great DB >>engine look at PostgreSQL, it's got transactions, SQL9(whatever) >>compliance, and performance is great. It has really grown up in the last >>few releases. >Certainly, Postgres and MySQL are the two leading open source alternatives. >And MySQL is also catching up with transaction support (not available until >June 2000). So, you're view is that it would not be worth releasing a >mid-90's mainstream RDBMS to open source because there are already some >open source databases that are ... well, good enough, better, or just there? >Which do you think applies? (For full disclosure: I don't know anything about MySQL, it didn't have transaction last I looked, so I haven't given it any attention). I think the latest release of PostgreSQL is certainly in the "good enough" catagory. It's only critical flaw is lack of an on-line backup. For regular small-business (<100 users) I'd personally have no problem recommending it. I've worked with it quite extensively and been very impressed. I doubt it would scale to nearly the degree that Informix/Oracle will (but that's just gut feeling). The developers are also very friendly, which is a nice touch. Systems and Network Administrator Morrison Industries 1825 Monroe Ave NW. Grand Rapids, MI. 49505