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MySQL CEO Insists He's Not Supping With The Devil

Posted by Zonk on from the eye-of-the-beholder dept.

jg21 writes "In the continuing saga of the decision by MySQL previously discussed here on Slashdot to make a deal with SCO Group, the company's CEO Marten Mickos has now granted an interview in which he addresses the inevitable criticism that the deal has provoked in the F/OSS community. His main defense seems to be that other companies have ported to SCO too. He admits money too played a part." From the article: "We believe that porting a GPL version of MySQL for the SCO OpenServer platform gives thousands of users more options when it comes to choosing a database -- which is a good thing. The deal produces revenue for us and this allows us to hire more open source developers. We didn't make the decision lightly; we knew SCO was a sensitive subject with the free software and open source communities."

5 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Not So Free Software by cowboy76Spain · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder why this is an issue. If someone wants to port its own software on a new platform, who should argue against it?

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    1. Re:Not So Free Software by Arker · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The only reason it's an issue is because web sites like this one are heavily infiltrated by astro-turfers that will try to make it an issue so their masters can then squeal about 'linux zealots.'

      MySQL made a deal, they got paid money to support a platform. That the client, in this case, happens to be the litigiousbastards was sure to raise a few eyebrows, and did, but not much more than that. Business is business. I hope Mårten made sure their check cleared before he let anyone put in any hours on that project... *shrug*

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  2. mysql or postgres by ajdlinux · · Score: 5, Interesting

    MySQL only became popular because it's faster than postgresql for less complex database work. Postgresql is a better database. I just wonder why SCO went for a deal with MySQL instead of just taking the BSD-licensed Postgres. (I would use postgres myself if my webhost and CMS supported it)

    Also, mySQL has a totally wrong view of the GPL: see this discussion on debian-legal.


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  3. Re:Cash up front, thanks. by tomhudson · · Score: 5, Interesting
    If you had bothered to read the Groklaw interview almost 2 weeks ago
    http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=200510112 11450706
    you would have found out that SCO paid mySQL.

    Money taken from SCO is less money for their FUD machine.

    It also gives people stuck on SCO a chance to migrate their stuff slowly to other platforms.

    1. Move existing services to mySQl on SCO platform
    2. replace SCO platform with *BSD or *Linux

    So how is that a bad thing again?

  4. Re:Stupidity by venicebeach · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It seems that Forbes has been drumming this conflict up a bit.

    Interesting Groklaw article about some fishy reporting on the issue by Forbes.