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MySQL Uses Microsoft's Open Source Software
EqualSlash writes "The Windows installer for the upcoming MySQL 4.1 release will be built using Microsoft's first ever open source project - Windows Installer XML toolset(Wix). According to an InternetNews report, they are using Wix to convert the MSI file designed using InstallShield into XML to achieve greater control over the installer. Of course, they are simply using it because it's Open Source (CPL license) and in good faith. Earlier this year, when Microsoft surprised everybody by releasing the Wix project under an open source license, some were cautious about using it, as the specific XML schema it uses might be patented just like the Office xml schema. Whatever.. Rob Mensching, Wix's lead developer, is very happy about MySQL choosing to use Wix for their installer."
The Windows Template Library is released as CPL as well. I don't know since when this has been, but the product has been in existence for quite some time now.
No, it's closer to, "Open-source something causes already open-source-centric people to use it." Also keep in mind that WiX is just a wrapper on top of Microsoft's proprietary Windows Installer bits. Therefore, while you can modify the syntax supported by WiX because that part is open, you can't change core functionality of the installer software (that part is not open).
Microsoft is not against open source. They've used BSD-licensed software, and more than WiX has been released under an open source license. What Microsoft has "sworn against" is "Free Software" as RMS would call it, or to the rest of us, software using the GPL or other "viral" license.
but that's their call. Surely, there must be other alternatives than using something from M$. It's an installer - can't they use Nullsoft or something else?
MSIs allow for easy installation of programs across entire Active Directory networks. Sure, you can do this with scripts and silent installs, but MSIs let you do interesting things like per-user installs that migrate to computers with their profiles. A good example of this is TortoiseSVN, which I can install only for myself on a computer on an AD network, and when I go to another lab computer and logon it'll automatically install and yet still be visible to only me.
There's also a Firefox bug that's requesting an MSI installation option (but I forget the URL). IIRC someone built an MSI package using WiX, and several people have stated that an MSI package is imperative for corporate deployment of Firefox.
So yeah, there are alternatives, but using MSIs do make things easier for some people, me included.
"But that's just me."
It certainly is.
If you throw truth around, you might break it.
Apache already does release an MSI format package, maybe they, too, could convert to WiX.
And then, there's only PHP left, that should come in an MSI file, and all would be fine.
OSS programmers should realize how important the installation package is. Because with an intelligent enough package (MSIs for Win32, debs for Debian etc), it's no longer simply copying and possibly files, but real Software Management. This is going to open doors to the large companies.
And yes, I know, MSI is a Microsoft idea, but it does make sense. Any large customer nowadays wants all the software to be re-packaged in MSI format (hell, repackaging Oracle Client sucks, you can believe me!).
WiX is not the installer. WiX is an XML schema and processor that let's you more easily build MSI installers. There's nothing stopping you from looking up the documentation on the Windows Installer at MSDN and building your own MSI programmatically, or building your own WiX-like processor, or whatever you want. The Windows Installer SDK is part of the Platform SDK, and I'm pretty sure that linking against base platform libraries is allowed even by the GPL (it's one of those things that's frowned upon, but allowed because otherwise you could only write GPL software to run on Linux or HURD).
Also, Nullsoft's NSIS (I still think they should've carried on the PiMP/SuperPiMP naming, rather than getting all "professional") has been open source and available for years. It doesn't compile down to an MSI installer, but Nullsoft's own format, and the language and installer is pretty powerful. MSIs give you some pretty cool and powerful abilities that you can't do from NSIS, but 90% of all installers don't need much more than the ability to decompress some files, copy them around, and write some regkeys.
You might want to check out MakeMSI. It's also Open Source, has very good documentation, and doesn't require much knowledge of MSI internals (unlike WiX which is mainly just an XML representation of the database).
I don't think so . . . assuming MS's open source license is truly open source by the definition that I think most people at /. beleive in, there would be no antitrust issue. Just a patent and license issue.
Antitrust issues are typically abuses of monopolistic or nearly monopolistic market power. Opensourcing a patented technology and suing for infringement is something that is not necessarily predicated on a monopolistic market . . . little guys can do this to (assuming they can afford to pay the lawyers).
...has had this for a while already.
It is this patent waver as a requirement for distributing the software that makes the CPL incompatible with the GPL as it imposes additional restrictions on redistribution over the GPL. However I understand that the FSF is considering putting in a patent clause in the next version of the GPL which would both make the CPL compatible with the GPL and restrict possible patent abuse.
Why would you rather they don't use it?
Because there are much better alternatives like NSIS or the many others. Plus, who wants to require freaking runtime to install software.
Yet Microsoft includes GNU/GPL utilities incorporated within their Services For Unix product that has been both sold and given away over the years. With impunity.
your company produces a product that somehow incorporates/depens on MySQL, in which case you want it for all developers, but not anyone else. Brilliant, set that up in AD and your set, the devs have MySQL on ANY terminal they use whilst those people who aren't in the dev group are blissfully unaware it even exists.
I am NaN
Just to explain for the language impaired. In the German language, "Wix" relates (although with a slightly different spelling) to the word for masturbation, therefore getting one's feet wet as a result of "wix" is seriously funny for German speakers, and not something to enjoy.
Paul Gillingwater
MBA, CISSP, CISM
The installer itself is a closed-source service for Windows only.
I had the exact same problems. I lowered the motherboard speed and they went away.
I think it is out-of-spec ram, memtest results and Mandrake notwithstanding.
I suspect that it is an interaction between the memory and the graphics card which is exposed by features used by the windows drivers but not used by the mandrake drivers.
Hope this helps.
NO ID: BEING FREE MEANS NOT HAVING TO PROVE IT