MySQL Ends Enterprise Server Source Tarballs

vboulytchev writes "The folks at MySQL has quietly announced that it will no longer be distributing the MySQL Enterprise Server source as a tarball. It's been about a year since the split between the paid and free versions of the database project. The Enterprise Server code is still under the GNU General Public License (GPL), and as a result MySQL appears to be making it harder for non-customers to access the source code. 'One of the things that many users worry about is whether they're getting an inferior version of MySQL by using the Community version. Urlocker says that MySQL "wants to make sure the Community version is rock solid," but admitted that the company has introduced features into the Community edition of the software that "[weren't] as robust as we thought, and created some instabilities." Because of that, the company is revising its policies about when features go into the Community releases.'" Update: 08/10 04:56 GMT by CN :While it is slightly harder to get, the source isn't closed by any means, so I updated the title to reflect that.

Comments

Open Source as a Business Model

[Frankie70]

Open Source may be an excellent model for developing software,
but I don't think it's a good business model.

As & when more Open Source businesses become a little
successfull, we will surely see some of them do what MySQL
has done.

Re:In related news

[ShieldW0lf]

Yeah, I read the article and several others.

"MySQL Enterprise" will not be available for download from MySQL unless you are paying them. Not as a tarball, not from the repositories, not at all.

MySQL assures the community that Enterprise versions of the code will still run on a variety of platforms, not just SUSE and RedHat. However, after extensive discussion between MySQL and the various distros, it will no longer be included in the distros.

If you're using Ubuntu or Debian, for example, you will no longer be able to simply apt-get anything but the community version.

So all the contributions of the community, which includes the various corporations, will only be available if you continue to pay.

Thanks to the GPL, it will be legal to grab a copy off some random torrent you find, sure. If they continue to use the GPL in the future, that is... the transfer-of-ownership conditions in their contribution process means that they can at any time close source the product.

But the free as in low-cost-startup-enterprise and easy as in built-into-your-distro options will no longer be forthcoming.

Think the next big Googlesque garage startup will be using MySQL?

Re:In related news

[Tablizer]

fuck you zonk! no, I've had enough of your bullshit! take this goddamn article down right fucking now and change the title you worthless fucking excuse for a yellow journalist! For fucksake you READ the goddamn article before you post it, I HOPE. Fucking immune from moderation troll-assed motherfucker, I will sacrifice my "excellent" karma to bring you down! [emph. added]

I for one welcome our 5-scoring flaming overlords.

Seriously, so much cussing and flaming, yet it got a 5. I am amazed by this; for I've gotten "-1 Troll" ratings for 1/10 as much "spice". I applaud you for pulling it off somehow. Itsa feat comparable to writing a web brower in 5 lines of perl. And have a fucking nice day :-)