back to article MySQL founders launch MariaDB Foundation at Oracle

MySQL’s co-founders are combining forces against Oracle with an independent organization to further the MariaDB fork started by Monty Widenius. The MariaDB Foundation has been announced by David Axmark, Allan Larsson and Widenius with founding members also including SkySQL chief executive Patrik Sallner, the co-founder of …

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  1. Miek
    Linux

    Fork you, Oracle

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Quite.

      Time for a clean break - before compatibility is lost. The ecosystem will quickly switch to the FOSS fork, just as it did with LibreOffice, Jenkins, etc. and the Oracle corporation can be left to slowly insert its ominous "propitiatory extensions" up its own rectum.

      Cracking excuse to finally ditch that heinous MySQL moniker too.

      1. MacroRodent
        Boffin

        Re: Quite.

        > Cracking excuse to finally ditch that heinous MySQL moniker too.

        But the API calls must still be named like "mysql_this" and "mysql_that", for compatibility.

  2. Paul 135
    Linux

    Time Google got a taste of this medicine

    Can we have a standardised community-driven non-profit backed Android fork please?

    1. Raumkraut

      Re: Time Google got a taste of this medicine

      CyanogenMod not enough?

    2. Vic

      Re: Time Google got a taste of this medicine

      > Can we have a standardised community-driven non-profit backed Android fork please?

      Yes.

      Vic.

  3. Perror

    Such a shame things reached this point. I never particularly liked much about MySQL besides its speed, but see it purposely sunk this way is a bit painful, however slow-motion it may be.

    All the best to MariaDB and their foundation!

  4. NoneSuch Silver badge
    Happy

    At least with MariaDB, I don't have to change my presentations that refer to LAMP servers.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Yet I can't help wonder...

    What would happen if another multi billion competitor steps up with the request to buy all the rights to MariaDB for several thousands if not millions of dollars.

    Would things go different this time?

    1. Havin_it
      Stop

      Re: Yet I can't help wonder...

      Sigh... This again, eh?

      Monty has exactly as much right to do and say what he has in relation to MySQL as you, I or Larry for that matter. I'd further add that I for one am actually glad it's him doing and saying it, because it needs doing and saying, and who better?

    2. jonathanb Silver badge

      Re: Yet I can't help wonder...

      Well Oracle own the bulk of the proprietary rights to MariaDB. MariaDB, like anyone else, can only use the GPL licenced code under the GPL licence. They also own outright any improvements they make to it, but those improvements are useless on their own.

    3. Lars Silver badge
      Pint

      Re: Yet I can't help wonder...

      Perhaps, but as you can see it did not prevent MySQL to fork, I suppose you know why. As for Widenius he did not "help" start it, he started it. and the MariaDB Foundation sounds like something that might be more difficult to sell or buy than MySQL. Then there is later that "toy" thing regarding MySQL, but I hardly believe even Larry would consider 1bn $ "toy money", but who knows (I wish I could).

    4. Vic

      Re: Yet I can't help wonder...

      > f another multi billion competitor steps up with the request to buy all the rights to MariaDB

      What rights?

      MariaDB is a fork of MySQL under the GPL. Substantially all of it is still copytighted by Oracle and released under licence.

      Vic.

      1. MacroRodent
        Happy

        Re: Yet I can't help wonder...

        > MariaDB is a fork of MySQL under the GPL.

        Given that the original MySQL authors work on MariaDB, I wonder which of them is actually the fork here? Oracle may have the name and nominal copyright, but the spirit has managed to escape, thanks to GPL.

        Shows that to ensure your choice is future proof, you should really use open-source software that is under GPL or other such strong license, even though they may not look "business-friendly" in the short term.

        1. Vic

          Re: Yet I can't help wonder...

          > I wonder which of them is actually the fork here?

          MariaDB is the fork.

          Monty sold his copyrights, then spent forever whinging that Oracle wouldn't change the licence he himself chose for MySQL so that he could sell it again.

          > the spirit has managed to escape, thanks to GPL.

          Indeed. I'm really rather pleased things have panned out as they have, I just object to Monty moaning that the GPL won't allow him to do closed-source derivatives.

          Vic.

  6. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Content free.

    “Improve database technology, including standards implementation, interoperability with other databases, and building bridges to other types of database such as transactional and NoSQL.”

    Is it just me, or is this a self contradictory and meaningless statement?

    I have always considered MySQL a toy, and I suspect MariaDB will be no different in this respect.

    Dweeb

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Content free.

      Is arrogance and ignorance the lingua franca of all Dweebs?

      Why be so insulting for no good purpose?

    2. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Content free.

      > Is it just me, or is this a self contradictory and meaningless statement?

      It is just you.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Content free.

        Aside from the appalling grammar (willing to blame the journalist for that though), "other types of database such as transactional" implies that (a) MySQL is not transactional and (b) databases (by which I believe the speaker meant DBMSs) can be non-transactional.

        I don't think either of these things are true.

        MySQL got proper transactions with InnoDB IIRC.

        Can anyone name a *real* DBMS without transactions

        My "a self contradictory and meaningless statement" is an accurate statement.

        Dweeb

        1. Rob Carriere

          Re: Content free.

          (a) MySQL can be non-transactional (not all MySQL installs run on InnoDB) and

          (b) Some of the NoSQL databases are non-transactional or have non-transactional modes.

          So, both your a and b can be true.

          I'm not going to get into a discussion of what makes a real DBMS, let alone a *real* DBMS, as that is a religious debate, not an appraisal of facts. For any given project, you have a set of requirements and any DBMS that meets those requirements is a "real" DBMS for the purpose of that project. Any attempt to classify DBMSes as real or not without reference to a project or class of projects invariably means the author assumes everybody's projects look like his. Equally invariably, this assumption turns out not to be the case.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Content free.

            There are no DBMSs without transactional integrity that are not toys. If there is no transactional integrity then it is not a DBMS. MySQL without transactions is a glorified file system, a toy, nothing more nor less. Have fun in your sandbox.

    3. Aitor 1

      Re: Content free.

      it WAS a toy.

      Right now, ypou can have huge databases, and speed + reliability are better than Oracle "if you know what you are doing".. otherwise stick with oracle/db2.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Content free.

      "Dweeb" would appear to be RICHTO's new nom de plume.

      Rather fitting IMO

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Divide & Conquer

    Children ...

  9. DrXym

    Can't help but think

    That their cause would be served by having a better name than MariaDB.

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      Re: Can't help but think

      It makes me think of the Moon. Is that bad?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Can't help but think

      What's the story behind the name? Is he Catholic or something?

  10. Ilsa Loving

    Well then...

    I guess it's a good thing there's still Postgres.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: its a good thing there's still Postgres

      ... and MariaDB, and HSQLDB, and H2, and various other very good open source databases

  11. John Phamlore

    I'm hoping that everything Widenius fears about Oracle comes true and Oracle starts enforcing the GPL license of MySQL with the same interpretation that Widenius had when he ran things. And I hope it sinks whatever commercial support MariaDB has accumulated up to that time.

    What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

    1. Vic

      > enforcing the GPL license of MySQL with the same interpretation that Widenius had when he ran things

      No, I hope that Oracle enforces the *correct* interpretation. Wideius' interpretation was rather wider than that laid down in the licence...

      Vic.

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