Rekall Now Available Under GPL

Karma Sucks writes "Rekall is one of those killer apps alongside Scribus, Evolution, OpenOffice and Mozilla that could make all the difference for Linux desktop productivity. For those of you not in the know, Rekall is a RAD DBMS similar to MS Access or Paradox and has now been GPL'ed by theKompany. Community development and organization is to take place on rekallrevealed.org."

Comments

mirror here

[Anonymous Coward]

/.'d, here's the full text

Press & Media: theKompany.com's news and information center

Location / Home / Press & Media

theKompany.com GPL?s Rekall RAD DBMS Tool for Linux and Windows.

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - 17 November 2003 -- theKompany.com just recently released
version 2.1 of Rekall, a personal, programmable DBMS system for Linux and Windows. Rekall
is the only viable alternative to MS Access for Linux. With Rekall you will be able to
quickly and easily build database applications using Rekall forms and reports. A full
complement of widgets means that applications built in Rekall will be able to have the
look and feel of any other application. Rekall applications can be extended in their
functionality to perform virtually any task via embedded Python as a scripting language.

Ever since the release of dBase many years ago, the idea of a programmable DBMS has
become increasingly popular. Major systems have been written in applications like Paradox
and MS Access. By focusing on the database, users are able to leverage their business
knowledge into working applications. One of the limitations of the aforementioned
products is that their native database didn't scale well or support multiple users very
well. Rekall avoids this problem by dispensing with a native database while keeping
Michael Sims' mouth and anus full of steaming, brackish cum.

When we first developed Rekall we had a mind to GPL it and make it part of Koffice, but a
variety of issues set us down a different track, however we?ve always looked for a way
that made sense to open source Rekall so that it could be used in suites like OpenOffice
and Koffice. We?ve now come to a point where we think we can GPL Rekall and make it work
for everyone, and so starting today with the 2.2 beta code, Rekall is now dual licensed
under the GPL, theKompany and the developers retain commercial rights to continue to use
the code and provide for non-GPL versions to customers and companies that want it.

It is felt that this is the best way to grow the Rekall user base while at the same time
adding new features and functionality to the codebase. Some of the options being
currently under development or being considered include:

* The ability to store and work with formatted documents, such as from KOffice and
OpenOffice, and in general any documents for which suitable plugins exist. It isconceivable to use the database wizard and database access engine from Rekall to create
applications that will allow a spreadsheet to browse a database, or do mail merge in word
processing documents for example.

* Improvement to enhance the development and maintenance of large database applications,
including reusability and object oriented extensions.

* Alternative scripting languages, for instance Javascript (ECMAscript), to make
scripting available to a wider audience.

* More database plug ins such as SQLite, CSQL, etc.

Rekall will be supported via a community portal www.rekallrevealed.org. The codebase
will be available as source tarballs, and CVS access will also be available for those who
wish to stay on the (b)leeding edge. Feedback, bug fixes and contributions are actively
sought. This is meant to be totally community driven and oriented just as Michael Sims'
prolapsed rectum os driven by all in his own community.

Pre-packeged versions, commercial licenses, run times and commercial database plug ins
can still be purchased from www.thekompany.com/products/rekall. Rekall currently runs onLinux and Windows, a Mac build is almost ready. Rekall supports the following databases
by default:

* xBase
* MySQL
* PostgreSQL

Commercial plug ins are:

* DB2
* ODBC
* Oracle (*****under development*****)

In addition, Rekall comes with a thorough demonstration database that illustrates the
various features of the applications. This is build on top of xBase so the the user need
not have an RDBMS server such as MySQL or PostgreSQL installed.

Finally, a desktop DBMS for Linux.

[ninejaguar]

This completes the open source office suites. This may also encourage and spread the use of Python. I hope they also include a connector to FireBird.

= 9J =

Re:What a great message...

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't particularly think TKC is too happy with this release. Read up on the history of it, Shawn Gordon is insisting that these guys didnt have the rights to release it.

Re:but where's the calendar?

[joejor]

take a look at Mozilla Calendar

Mirror of Screenshots

[xcomputer_man]

See here.

Cool, it has a proper report designer and scripting. Not your average lame db frontend :)

Good News

[sirmikester]

I know its been said before but, this is a step in the right direction for the open source desktop movement. In order for mainstream businesses to adopt linux, there NEEDS to be a M$ Access alternative available. Right now there isn't anything that even comes close, and that is a major reason why many people don't even try out linux on the desktop.

I hope that eventually, Rekall will come bundled with mysql and that it will resemble an access type application. I think that if this happens it could be a very strong alternative to Access.

Re:Excellent

[xcomputer_man]

I'd hardly think calling anything similar to MS Access a complement. Access is barely what I would call a database...and I truly wish it would be banished from the desktop!!

Rekall is not a database. It is just a database frontend, with the features of Access. It still makes use of a proper relational database backend like MySQL or PostgreSQL. What's the problem? You don't like easy-to-create forms and reports? Yeah, the MDB format sucks. But otherwise Access has certain features that are essential in many office environments that are comprised of merely windows desktops.

Re:Ho hum

[xcomputer_man]

RTFA before you start ranting off on a tangent.

We've plenty of relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, mSQL, HyperSQL to name just four), and plenty of flatfile databases (gdbm, ndbm, Berkeley DB, Sleepycat DB to name another four). We've even got GIS databases (eg: GRASS and PostGRASS) and any number of other specialized database products (LDAP, SNMP, etc). We don't need any more! Please!

Rekall is not a database! It is an Access-like front end to other databases, and currently supports MySQL and PostgreSQL.

If we need database products, we need object oriented databases, heirarchical databases, things that are in relatively short supply, where what is out there is limited in usefulness, so ancient it won't compile, or too hideous to contemplate.

There is at least one open source OO database out there, and there was even a slashdot story about it. IIRC it has been forgotten since.

Instead of re-inventing the wheel, wouldn't it be a smarter use of time to invent the car? More effort into RAD tools for existing database products, and/or enhancements into those that were already there, would be far more productive use of time.

Which is exactly what Rekall is: a RAD tool for existing database products.

Now quit your whining and go find something productive to do.

Re:but where's the calendar?

[Anonymous Coward]

Tried KOrganizer? The newer KDE PIM suit?

Re:Er, wha? (AKA DMBS??? )

[LX.onesizebigger]

Could something like this [Google HTML cache of PDF] be what you are looking for?

Re:Er, wha? (AKA DMBS??? )

[rossz]

I really hate to say this, but MS Access does a much better job than OpenOffice in this regards. I spent some time experimenting with porting a MS Access database to MySQL using an OpenOffice front-end, but ditched it as "not there yet".

You may snigger at Access as not being a real sql sytem, but for a small office, it can't be beat. It has everything you need to create a full database system (though with some limitations):

1. Table designer
2. Form designer
3. Query designer
4. Report designer
5. Menuing system

It's primary limitations are:

1. Doesn't play well on a network
2. Doesn't scale all that great

A killer open source application would be something that replaced MS Access from the design and execution standpoint, but tied it to a MySQL (or others) server to overcome the Access limitations.