Re: Linux and Informix

Brian Fahrlander wrote: > > I'm recently learning that Linux is a pretty happy, stable place to > be. I don't say this lightly- I ran on SCO (and swore by it) for almost > 7 years before evaluating Linux and finding it so. > > Now, if I could only get Informix to write for it! > Amen. > I called them up and got an answer that I think is BS. They said > they'd support it, but that it would violate their ISO9000 standard for > which they worked so hard. > > I haven't worked in an ISO9000 facility...is this BS or could there > be some truth to it? > Well, their documentation and installation is probably not under these requirements. :-) > Also, would anyone have any Informix 4GL work-alike that runs on > Linux? > > Bri Brian, Linux Apps: http://www.xnet.com/~blatura/linapps.shtml I 've been thinking about this Linux thing. We had a rather long thread about it last month. There was a rather paltry response to it, at least here in c.d.i., but maybe for every post on this there's a percentage of real interest. There's no way of knowing how many responded to informix directly. It's interesting that you got the response to it you did over the phone. I also did not want to be the first to respond to your thread, and I really wish more people will join in the discussion. Based on only the information I've seen here, and probably two emails directly from Informix, I think this whole thing is lost. Several factors are in play, my own theories of course :-) Marco and I were noticing off-line, that we can't keep responding to our own words. I wish you could be a part of the off-line, international discussion I've been having. It's almost a ride in the space shuttle. There seems to be great interest from the international community, but here in the US, it's negligible. I wish you could see who's hitting my little web site. It would be most interesing. :-) The planet is watching, but not saying much here. What a tale the logs would tell. ( Don't worry they remain a silent encouragement for me--overwhelming actually ) I've got several ideas, namely: 1. For the American audience, Linux is probably an unknown variable in most development shops, because most Informix developers work on commercial UNIXes. The shops are also leary of introducing Linux in with their commercial UNIXes. 2. The cost to develop or learn Informix away from a corporate environment is too high, when combined with a commercial UNIX. 3. Many developers are family people, and do not have the time, or willingness to learn or dabble at home, with Linux, or any other UNIX. The DP industry and current work environment is too stressful, too much change, confusion. Rapid change in the industry combined with managing a family keeps many from learning away from work. 4. Small-time developers have taken alternatives and are using other solutions besides Informix, such as the Xbase products, or the other stuff proliferating for Linux. 5. Informix is having an identity crisis, spending so much time denying it's small-system roots, to cater to the big shops, that it cannot possibly reach down now and even acknowledge an interest in Linux. If they did do a Linux port severe schizophrenia would result. Besides it would add confusion at parties. :-) 6. Complacency will keep this from happening, because the majority of Informix developers have not tried Linux, don't care about it, and are happy to let the big corporation pay for everything. 7. Smaller developers will turn to a "new" small-systems provider, that Informix used to be. It's evolution of software, and I guess that's the way it goes. Informix will ignore this whole thread, and move on. 8. Informix's confusing networking software is a nightmare to configure. CLI and I-connect and I-net are badly documented, badly designed, and arcane to use. ( Thanks Manoj for your recent help! ) Informix will have to release products in the future that work with TCP/IP simply, compatible with it, and not proprietary. 9. The desire to develop on small systems, such as Win95 will increase if the small system development environment is more clearly supported by Informix. They should have Standard Engine unbundled from NearError--oops I mean New Era. SE should be available as a download just like OWGS. At least maybe if more developers could get SE running on the desktop, they might migrate to a desktop UNIX as in Linux. I think I will be better off in the long run heading for a new software product. My new marketing approach is towards cross-platform development, as I work on so many large and small systems, with a great diversity of software. While Informix plays a large part of the mix, it will find it's place along side newer products that are willing to scale, not just in the number of users, but the platforms available for the software to run on. It may even get pushed aside once the momentum from the competition squeezes it out. There is great strength in cross-platform development, it's a shame more developers who read c.d.i. do not have the desire to see Informix on the smaller systems. Or are at least not sharing this here or with Informix. It's also a shame that more are not willing to even look at Linux enough to see what the potential is for this exciting time in UNIX-land. Hardware has become a commodity, and now operating systems. The data base commodity market is not far off. There will be a time in the near future where there will be a UNIX in every home. And you may be surprised at who is backing it. Just my opinion, I could be wrong. :-) Tim -- Tim Schaefer \\\\|// tschaefe@mindspring.com (6 6) ------------------------oOOo---( )---o00o--------- http://www.inxutil.com MAKE TIDAL WAVES JUMP IN THE OCEAN IS BIG