[Fwd: Re: First Major Open Source Database]

From: Lamar Owen <lamar(dot)owen(at)wgcr(dot)org>
To: pgsql-hackers(at)postgresql(dot)org
Subject: [Fwd: Re: First Major Open Source Database]
Date: 2000-01-06 23:29:57
Message-ID: 38752575.FBCD36B1@wgcr.org
Views: Raw Message | Whole Thread | Download mbox | Resend email
Thread:
Lists: pgsql-hackers

[Ok, I've been in touch with the author of the 'First Major Open Source
Database' article. Here's what he wants to do. Let me know what you
think, and correct any misinformation I may have fed him.]

--
Lamar Owen
WGCR Internet Radio
1 Peter 4:11

-------- Original Message --------
From: Doc Searls <doc(at)searls(dot)com>
Subject: Re: First Major Open Source Database
To: Jason Kroll <hyena(at)ssc(dot)com>
CC: mlr(at)ssc(dot)com, lamar(dot)owen(at)wgcr(dot)org

To move this along quickly, I suggest this as a sidebar we can run as
a table in the piece at
http://www2.linuxjournal.com/articles/conversations/010.html ...

----------------

Credit where due

Since this interview went up, the response has been overwhelmingly
positive. Some readers, however, have urged us to give full credit to
the other open source databases that are already out there and have
prior claims to the "major" label. The strongest urgings have come
from PostgreSQL developers, who have provided us with some points and
links that we are happy to pass along here.

The points:

- University Ingres, developed starting in 1977, qualifies for the
'First Major Open Source Database' honor. Ingres is the direct
ancestor of PostgreSQL.

- PostgreSQL is at version 6.5.3, and has been open source since the
beginning. "The development is very open, the developers friendly,
and the code is improving by leaps and bounds," writes Lamar Owen,
RPM Package Maintainer with the PostgreSQL Global Development Group.
He says "PostgreSQL has shipped with RedHat Linux as part of the
'Official Boxed Set' since RedHat 5.0." He also recommends comparing
RDBMSes by the "ACID criteria." These are: "Atomicity, Consistency,
Isolation, Durability."

- Hacking database code is not lightweight work. "Kernel hacking is
not a walk in the park, nor is GUI hacking, library hacking, or any
other tool hacking," Owen says, "But, database hacking is a league
unto itself....The learning curve for doing back-end database
development is the steepest of any project of which I am aware."

Here are two useful links:

- The freshmeat.net appindex entry for databases
<http://www.freshmeat.net/appindex/daemons/database.html>

- PostgreSQL.org's comparison chart <http://www.postgresql.org>

Alert us to more and we'll put them here.

-- Doc Searls

-------------

Here is the same thing, in HTML:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
<html>

<head>
<title>Credit Where Due</title>
</head>

<body>
<h2>Credit where due</h2>
<p>Since this interview went up, the response has
been overwhelmingly positive. Some readers, however, have urged us to
give full credit to the other open source databases that are already
out there and have prior claims to the &quot;major&quot; label. The
strongest urgings have come from PostgreSQL developers, who have
provided us with some points and links that we are happy to pass
along here.</p>
<p>The points:</p>
<p>&#151; University Ingres, developed starting in
1977, qualifies for the 'First Major Open Source Database' honor.
Ingres is the direct ancestor of PostgreSQL.</p>
<p>&#151; PostgreSQL is at version 6.5.3, and has
been open source since the beginning. &quot;The development is very
open, the developers friendly, and the code is improving by leaps and
bounds,&quot; writes Lamar Owen, RPM Package Maintainer with the
PostgreSQL Global Development Group. He says &quot;PostgreSQL has
shipped with RedHat Linux as part of the 'Official Boxed Set' since
RedHat 5.0.&quot; He also recommends comparing RDBMSes by the
&quot;ACID criteria.&quot; These are: &quot;Atomicity, Consistency,
Isolation, Durability.&quot;</p>
<p>&#151; Hacking database code is not lightweight
work. &quot;Kernel hacking is not a walk in the park, nor is GUI
hacking, library hacking, or any other tool hacking,&quot; Owen says,
&quot;But, database hacking is a league unto itself....The learning
curve for doing back-end database development is the steepest of any
project of which I am aware.&quot;</p>
<p>Here are two useful links:</p>
<ul>
<li><a
href="http:/www.freshmeat.net/ppindex/aemons/atabase.html">The
freshmeat.net appindex entry for databases</a>
<li><a
href="http:/www.postgresql.org">PostgreSQL.org's comparison chart</a>
</ul>
<p>Alert us to more and we'll put them here.</p>
<p>&#151; Doc Searls
</body>

</html>

----------

Does that work? If so, let's get it up.

Doc, in the basement of Moscone, in the surreal Macworld where Apple
still, amazingly, lives.

----------
Doc Searls
Senior Editor, Linux Journal
doc(at)ssc(dot)com
http://www.linuxjournal.com
Office: 544 Oak Park Way, Emerald Hills, CA 94062-4038
Phone: (650) 361-1324 Cell: (206) 849-9586 Fax: (650) 361-1348
----------

Responses

Browse pgsql-hackers by date

  From Date Subject
Next Message Hannu Krosing 2000-01-06 23:47:06 Re: [HACKERS] Enhancing PGSQL to be compatible with Informix SQL
Previous Message Ansley, Michael 2000-01-06 23:14:06 RE: [HACKERS] pg_dump problem