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On Tuesday 08 March 2005 07:24 pm, Tope Akinniyi wrote:
Hi,
I am wondering at this display of extreme Linux mentality being displayed by the 'top bras' of the PostgreSQL community. And I ask, are we encouraging Windows use of PostgreSQL at all?
Take a look at tools being rolled out at PgFoundry on daily basis; all for Linux except the Windows installer. I ask myself what is being done to encourage PostgreSQL Windows users. Nothing is available to them except the Database and PgAdmin. No replication tool, no this, no that.
To be honest - I wouldn't encourage the use of PostgreSQL on Win.
Neither would I for any database or data warehouse application (which probably is why SAP put onto their website that they prefer linux to windows platforms). I think it could even damage the quite good reputation of PostgreSQL - if your windows box crashes and takes the DB with it - most likely it's not the fault of a lousy OS, nor the fault of an incompetent sysadmin who forgot to make backups - it will be this "shitty" free database system that's to blame.
I wrote quite some software that uses postgresql - never would I tell any customer that he could now run it on windows. As a matter of fact I put code like:
if os="win" { errormessage("this software is not ported to windows yet"); exit(99); }
into the startup routine - just to make it impossible for the customer to run it on windows.
I was troubled when CommandPrompt, the leading Windows support provider responded to a post that their plPHP is for Linux only.
Sorry for this: Firebird provides equal tools for Linux and Windows users. We are not the one to tell the Windows users whether they need them.
Firebird was a DOS ISAM DB. It just made it's way to *nix a couple years ago.
Whether Windows is bad or good; Linux is the angel and Windows the devil is not the issue here. PostgreSQL has gone the Windows way and must not be shown to be deficient.
The problem is, that it's a question of perception. Most windows fans don't see that "their" OS is pretty instable. So it's not a question if the community can do anything to make PostgreSQL look deficient - it's a question of what people do with it on Win. I had a similar case recently with a customer: His MS Office suite crashed at least 3 times a day. So I switched him to OpenOffice. Now OO crashed once after a month of perfect operation - guess what, the customer is back to MS Office because OO crashed on him and MS has this new version that's sooo much better. Call it dumb - but that's how a lot of people are. Well, he paid a couple $k to get new licenses and is back where he was a month ago.
I am not holding anybody responsible, but I think we need to do a massive re-orientation of the community not to carry the Linux-Windows game too far.
It's just a fact: any unix is a better platform for databases than windows. Windows was designed (and mostly still is) as a Desktop operating system - and it's fairly good on the desktop.
according to billy boy himself,
windows is designed " to make it easier and more entertaining for people to play video games on thier home computer"*
so not even dektop, it was never meant for professional use.
Never trust a server that needs a mouse
attached to operate properly. Unix was designed with scalability, stability and multiuser-operation in mind - and that's what it's good at. I wouldn't want my payroll on a windows box - much less my company data.
UC
*Bill Gates in press conference introducing windows 1.0 to the world.
personally, even the nt family, with the absolute requirement of using video gaming technology, is not a professional os.
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