Re: Humor me: Postgresql vs. MySql (esp. licensing)

"Randal L. Schwartz" <merlyn(at)stonehenge(dot)com> Wrote:
>
> The biggest advantage MySQL still has over PostgreSQL is the same
> advantage Microsoft has over Unix - entrenchment, both in
> software and mindshare.

There is another thing too-- MySQL manages connection permissions entirely
within the RDBMS, while PostgreSQL relies on the pg_hba.conf. This makes
managing a database server in a shared hosting environment a bit harder.
While I appreciate the PostgreSQL way of doing things, I realize that it is
a bit harder to make work for the average web hosting provider. I am
currently looking at the possibility of building a solution, but no one has
expressed interest, so I am not sure.

FWIW, here is what I have in mind:
A PostgreSQL database with hooks into the pg_hba.conf so that new user
accounts can be created, along with databases, etc. and all permissions
properly managed. Whether the pg_hba should be parsed and treated as an
external table using PL/PerlU or whether it should be recreated on demand is
a question I am still considering (pro's and cons of doing things either
way). Obviously this would not have a wide audience, but it would go a LONG
way towards challenging both MS SQL and MySQL in the web hosting space.

Another opportunity here is helping port "legacy" MySQL applications to
PostgreSQL, ensuring demand for the RDBMS continues to grow.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers