Re: Oracle buys Innobase

pgsql-general-owner(at)postgresql(dot)org wrote on 10/09/2005 08:16:22 AM:

> >
> > This is the first time I can think of where software being GPL'd might
> > actually hurt the open-source community.

The MySQL license has been modified so that it is, IMHO, not compatible
with the GPL. The basic tenet of the GPL is that I can freely copy and
distribute, I just have to give back my contributions. MySQL cannot be
freely copied and distributed if you are going to make money.

MySQL built a business model based on this modification, not on GPL. Had
they left the GPL alone and used a consulting business model, they would
not be in this mess. The business model, the GPLing of the drivers, and
the FUD show a commercial operation parading as a FOSS advocate.

I find the discussion of FOSS RDBMS developers uniting against Oracle
strange. What are you going to hit them with? Your massive marketing
budgets? The only weapon available is the quality of the products, and
PostgreSQL is already wielding that weapon mightily.

What is Oracle after? Small DB technology? They already have rdb.
Firebird, back in the Groton Database Corporation days, was built to be
compatible with rdb. Marrying those technologies through modification of
existing gateways makes more technological sense than InnoDB.

Oracle is trying for market share, as they always do, but it appears ill
conceived. MySQL is for people who can't or won't tune and manage a DBMS.
Oracle products are just not going to fit. Both on price and complexity.
If they kill MySQL, they are just going to increase other true FOSS RDBMS
projects' market share. Power to them.

Cheers,

Rick