There Is No Reason At All To Use MySQL: MariaDB, MySQL Founder Michael Widenius

sfcrazy writes "In this exclusive interview MySQL founder Michael Widenius talks about the reasons of decline of MySQL, what Oracle is doing wrong and how MariaDB is fast replacing it. There are quite some interesting information in this interview. The take out of this interview is '...there is no reason at all to use MySQL 5.5 instead of MariaDB 5.5. The same will be true for the next generation.'" Of course, he has an economic interest in getting people to use MariaDB. Hard to argue that Oracle isn't evil though.

Comments

That's funny

[Anonymous Coward]

It's also what Postres fans have been saying for years. Maybe they're right about other things?

or sqlite

[mattdm]

As a general rule of thumb, if you need something lightweight, SQLite is the way to go. If you need something more powerful or sophisticated than that, PostgreSQL.

MySQL and spinoffs all occupy an uncomfortable middle ground. 99% of the small web sites which are built around MySQL don't need it.

Re:or sqlite

[wmac1]

Most people and websites do not agree with you. Ask facebook , wikipedia and thousands of others (if not millions).

SQLite is not scalable. MySQL is lightweight and scalable.

PostgreSQL has not been successful in penetrating cheap shared hosting providers. There is no web based tool comparable to phpMyAdmin and there are more reasons why PostgreSQL has not been successful despite its technical advantages.

Re:or sqlite

[jamesh]

- Need a key-value storage? Use tdb (or any dbm-like that you can find). - Need a lightweight SQL-using database? Use SQLite. - Need a lightweight and reliable database? Use Firebird. - Need a database for your project(s) that might take off, raking millions of dollars and the one you want to rely as the backbone of your next company? Then .. use PostgreSQL.

A Mysqlite, Mariadblite, or postresqlite database would be really nice. Something that requires similar installation to sqlite (eg not much at all) and not a lot of tuning for a tiny database but that can scale up to the full thing as required. Most applications i've used have a compatibility layer that means you can choose from sqlite, mysql, or postgresql at installation time, but choosing sqlite initially because it's easy doesn't necessarily mean there is a straightforward migration path when you outgrow it.

Re:or sqlite

[CastrTroy]

I use MySQL for a lot of personal projects on a shared host. However, I don't have any idea how anyone uses PHPMyAdmin. It gets the job done in a pinch, but it really doesn't work as well as MySQL workbench. You should be able to set up an SSH tunnel so you can use MySQL workbench. I imagine the same could be done for whatever tool is popular for PostgreSQL. Using a web based tool doesn't make any sense in either case.

Re:or sqlite

[Trailer Trash]

I don't get it. I've used postgresql for years and I've never bothered tuning it. It's always worked fine out of the box for tiny databases and fairly large ones. I use Ubuntu for most server stuff, so "setting it up" involves "apt-get install postgresql" or whatever. After that I create a user, create a db, and get to work. It's about 4 statements that I have to type in. MySQL is no more work, but I'm not sure why anybody would use it given that postgresql is as easy to set up and does far more with no effort.

Re:or sqlite

[VortexCortex]

phppgadmin is not comparable to phpmyadmin. It's a poor copy of myadmin.

Proving once again, the "no true Scotsman" argument can be applied to anything.

Free migration then?

[dutchwhizzman]

Maybe Postgres is a better DB in a theoretical way. It could be that in a brand new design for an application, it will be better in practice as well. However, if you run existing code or use an "off the shelf" open source application, chances are, it will be tested and developed on MySQL/MariaDB and not on Postgres. Until the choice is just as easy to make as the choice for either MySQL or MariaDB, I doubt it's "better" for 90+% of all MariaDB/MySQL users. Those users have a choice for either something that works, or something that will need a lot of porting and testing done. It may seem small and insignificant to Postgres experts to do that, but to those 90+%, it ishttp://developers.slashdot.org/story/13/05/05/2050220/there-is-no-reason-at-all-to-use-mysql-mariadb-mysql-founder-michael-widenius?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed# most likely far beyond their capabilities, probably cost prohibitive and in a lot of cases just not an option at all.

Re:Free migration then?

[Anonymous Coward]

Those users have a choice for either something that works

You wouldn't be saying that about MySQL if you'd ever had the misfortune of actually using it.

Re:Postgres

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

In many ways, WordPress : CMS :: MySQL : Database.

Both WordPress and MySQL are great success stories in terms of popularity and to some extent creating an ecosystem as a result. That doesn't make either of them particularly good technically. The way that WordPress was basically hard-coded to use a specific database is not any other database's fault. It's just another symptom of the questionable architectural decisions underlying it.

Yada Yada Yada.. More of the same drivel.

[FlyingGuy]

98% of "web Programmers" wouldn't know a good database if it dragged them out of the parents basement and gave them a blow job.

I would not recommend using Oracle to run a simple web site. It is complete over kill. I would not recommend using MySQL / Maria to run the VISA processing center either.

99.9% of application builders do not even know the value of a good, much less great, DB engine and that is proven out time and time again when you look at their DB schema and all you see are tables. They all insist on doing EVERYTHING on the front end and never get , even when advised about, the amount of power that DB's like Oracle, PostGres, MS-SQL, DB2 and even MySQL have these days. One well written Stored Procedure ( Oracle Speak ). Package ( Oracle Speak ), function ( PostGres Speak ) or Procedure ( MySQL/ MS-SQL Speak ) can eliminate 1000's of lines of java, python, ruby, php ( pick your language ) front end code, and perform the function 1000x faster and more reliably.

Every tool has its use. When you need massive scaleibility, up time in the 5 9's category and support RIGHT FUCKING NOW WITH AN ACTUAL ENGINEER when you dial the toll free number 24/7/365 you get the big dogs like Oracle,MS-SQL or DB2. If those factors are less important then you have other choices like Postgres ( they REALLY need to fix the TXID issue ) which is very powerful but lacks the kind of SLA's that you can get with Oracle / Microsoft. If just getting feedback from the support community is fine the MySQL / Maria are fine choices.

I design VERY large databases that push DB's to their limits. Google had to design their own because nothing off the shelf or even from the FOOS community could handle their requirements but it takes a small army to deal with it and most companies don't have the resources or don't want to have that many people on their payroll.

The bottom line is use the DB that fits your requirements, fits your budget and has the support organization around it so when you have a problem your requirements are met, and it really does not matter who you get it from. Don't be religious about it. ALL of these companies are trying to build the best product to serve their market and that is the bottom line.

Michael Widenius is nothing but a little bitch. He sold his DB to sun for how much again? 1 BILLION dollars I think it was. Now shut the fuck up, go sit on your riches and do MariaDB if you want but stop bitching about what happened to MySQL because he YOU are the idiot who cashed in and sold out.

hasn't been any reason to use MySQL for 1 decade

[smash]

Postgresql is more feature complete, just as fast, and properly free software.