Re: A great week for Linux
"sqlplus is so 1985" - So use SQL Developer, sure it's not up MSSQL SSMS, or better still buy SQL Naviagtor or TOAD.
"ignoring the 'stty erase' "? Nope, can't say I've ever had that happen in 17 years of working with Oracle on Solaris, stty always works prior to me going into sqlplus!
For all SQL*Plus failings at least SQL*Plus doesn't allow 17 database connections at once like SSMS does, which then allows you to accidentally start a session on the wrong instance/db combo and bugger up your day. Not just my say so, had 4-5 year MSSQL DBA veterans and devs cursing SSMS for allowing such nonsense. SQL*Plus, basic interface, limited options but one app with one session!
I actually happen to like learning MSSQL at the moment, it's very new frontier and exiting, especially the non-autonomous, non-transactional isolation levels it offers by default. A new tag line, "SQL Server rollback? Yeah only if you deliberately set transaction mode first!".
At the end of the day all products have good bits and bad bits and it's fun learning how to get around the bad bits by taking ideas you've learned in other products to make up for deficiencies.