Monty Going Full Out Against MySQL Acquisition

This anti-Oracle rhetoric doesn't smell to me like any kind of "protect MySQL" manuevering. MySQL's licensing is already horked because Sun distributes it under both GPL2 and closed, commercial licenses. Kinda interesting how they phrase it as the "FOSS Exception" rather than the commercial exception. http://www.mysql.com/about/legal/

But the bulk of it is still under GPL2, so rather than run crying to the EU, fork the darned thing under the GPL with no commercial exception. It's a lot less messy and more direct than relying on government intervention.

Microsoft implemented a defective "Java stack," for the purpose of diluting the Java brand and reducing Sun's ROI from it. "Embrace, extend, extinguish."

I think Oracle's acquisition bid has the same objective in mind for MySQL. Even if people fork it, Oracle can use its ownership of MySQL to muddy the waters with incompatibilities. Then it turns into a case of "see how disorganized Open Sores Software is" for the ignorant management types, and in ride Oracle, Microsoft, SAP, and whoever else with their proprietary cr@p to "save the day," gouge the budget, and stifle further innovation due to lack of funds.

End result for MySQL: evaporation.

I dunno gus3, calling on the government watchdogs to protect big business from itself hardly seems like a good enough reason to not trust the GPL and the power of forks.

If Oracle is really more interested in Java and the services parts of Sun they should just agree to divest MySQL to some other entity and get on with the rest of the merger. That should satisfy virtually everyone.

@sj:

Precisely. The fact that they haven't, says a lot. Larry Ellison sees competition in MySQL. I have no doubts that he has a plan to eliminate it.

Of course, one can have a working Fedora/MySQL server in less time than it takes to download the Oracle installer image, so maybe there is something to be said for Mr. Ellison's perception.

I don't quite agree with that. I see more into PJ's reasoning on Groklaw. Monty doesn't want to save MySQL. He wants the closed source commercial business attached to it for his MariaDB.

Oracle's new commitments seem adequate to me. I worry more about OpenOffice than I do about MySQL.