
> > > David Gould wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > I would like to point out that Informix SE for Linux is available TODAY
> > > > from our website. Oracle for Linux is planned for the end of the year.
> > > > 
> > > > I think our shipping SE version beats their latest and greatest vapor. ;-)
> > > 
> > > Yes, but it is a shame Informix is coming as a "me too" to Linux, rather
> > > than leading the pack.  Now that they have decided to release the port,
> > > it is a shame they did not release it six months ago, so they looked
> > > more like a leader.
...
Hey, I agree, we should have done it a year ago. And we should be doing UDO
now along with SE. And we should GPL the Illustra source (it really does
address a _lot_ of the problems in postgres). But I am not in charge, so
what I think is just my opinion.

But, fact is, we are the first to ship. And I think that shipping counts
more than press releases. I mean, heck, we could have made an "announcement"
six months ago (with a six month lead time like Oracle), but that wouldn't
have put CDs in anyones hands any sooner.

I am well aware that "no good deed ever goes unpunished", but even so it
is annoying to see the attitude "well, Informix didn't do UDO only SE, and
they didn't do it six months ago" when in fact Informix is shipping a
perfectly fine product that thousands of VARS use to build all kinds of
real apps for real businesses, and we are giving developer licenses for free.

This is key enabling stuff to let real businesses deliver and use real apps
on Linux. And we are the first to actually do the work to deliver the
product (or the others would be shipping CDs instead of vapor).  I think
this is a good thing and should be recognized as such.

Excuse me if this is inappropriately commercial, but I have been arguing
inside the company for a Linux port for over two years and it kinda pops
my balloon when it is not appreciated (not that I had anything to do with it).

-dg


David Gould            dg@illustra.com           510.628.3783 or 510.305.9468 
Informix Software  (No, really)         300 Lakeside Drive  Oakland, CA 94612
 - If simplicity worked, the world would be overrun with insects. -


Sat, 8 Aug 1998 00:50:15 -0700 (PDT)
dg@informix.com (David Gould)
re: Informix on Linux
> > > > Yes, but it is a shame Informix is coming as a "me too" to 
> > > > Linux, rather than leading the pack.  Now that they have decided 
> > > > to release the port, it is a shame they did not release it six 
> > > > months ago, so they looked more like a leader.
> But, fact is, we are the first to ship. And I think that shipping 
> counts more than press releases. I mean, heck, we could have made an 
> "announcement" six months ago (with a six month lead time like 
> Oracle), but that wouldn't have put CDs in anyones hands any sooner.

*grin* That reminds me of a "demo" Oracle did at JPL a few years ago.
Very impressive -- 3 machines at the front of the room: a Sun, a PC, and
a Mac, each running a different piece of an Oracle app or backend,
interoperating wonderfully. *Except that NONE of the pieces of software
in the demo was available for ANY of the other platforms*!!?? They sort
of forgot to mention that until I asked :/

Until it ships, Oracle is just contributing to global warming...

> I am well aware that "no good deed ever goes unpunished", but even so 
> it is annoying to see the attitude "well, Informix didn't do UDO only 
> SE, and they didn't do it six months ago" when in fact Informix is 
> shipping a perfectly fine product that thousands of VARS use to build 
> all kinds of real apps for real businesses, and we are giving 
> developer licenses for free.

Yup, Informix seems to have made the big commitment, and we shouldn't
hold it against any company for not "getting it" sooner. At least until
Informix starts slamming Postgres in their advertisements :))

Keep working on them to GPL Illustra David...

                     - Tom

Sat, 08 Aug 1998 13:26:49 +0000
"Thomas G. Lockhart" <lockhart@alumni.caltech.edu>
Re: [HACKERS] re: Informix on Linux
On Sat, 8 Aug 1998, Thomas G. Lockhart wrote:

> Keep working on them to GPL Illustra David...

	Doesn't the fact that Netscape refused to GPL their sources say
*anything* to anyone?  If they are going to release the source, fine...but
not under GPL..at least go the direction that Netscape did and make your
own copyright...

Marc G. Fournier                                
Systems Administrator @ hub.org 
primary: scrappy@hub.org           secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org 


Sat, 8 Aug 1998 15:17:45 -0300 (ADT)
The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org>
Re: [HACKERS] re: Informix on Linux
> > > > Yes, but it is a shame Informix is coming as a "me too" to Linux, rather
> > > > than leading the pack.  Now that they have decided to release the port,
> > > > it is a shame they did not release it six months ago, so they looked
> > > > more like a leader.
> ...
> Hey, I agree, we should have done it a year ago. And we should be doing UDO
> now along with SE. And we should GPL the Illustra source (it really does
> address a _lot_ of the problems in postgres). But I am not in charge, so
> what I think is just my opinion.

Wow, GPL the Illustra source.  That would be radical.


> But, fact is, we are the first to ship. And I think that shipping counts
> more than press releases. I mean, heck, we could have made an "announcement"
> six months ago (with a six month lead time like Oracle), but that wouldn't
> have put CDs in anyones hands any sooner.
> 
> I am well aware that "no good deed ever goes unpunished", but even so it
> is annoying to see the attitude "well, Informix didn't do UDO only SE, and
> they didn't do it six months ago" when in fact Informix is shipping a
> perfectly fine product that thousands of VARS use to build all kinds of
> real apps for real businesses, and we are giving developer licenses for free.
> 
> This is key enabling stuff to let real businesses deliver and use real apps
> on Linux. And we are the first to actually do the work to deliver the
> product (or the others would be shipping CDs instead of vapor).  I think
> this is a good thing and should be recognized as such.
> 
> Excuse me if this is inappropriately commercial, but I have been arguing
> inside the company for a Linux port for over two years and it kinda pops
> my balloon when it is not appreciated (not that I had anything to do with it).

This is a good point.  We just want only the best for Informix.

-- 
Bruce Momjian                          |  830 Blythe Avenue
maillist@candle.pha.pa.us              |  Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania 19026
  +  If your life is a hard drive,     |  (610) 353-9879(w)
  +  Christ can be your backup.        |  (610) 853-3000(h)

Sat, 8 Aug 1998 15:23:20 -0400 (EDT)
Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us>
Re: [HACKERS] re: Informix on Linux