Re: Postgresql:MySQL = BSD:Linux ?

[Arun Sharma <adsharma@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, Jun 28, 2000 at 03:22:53PM +0530, Chandrashekhar Bhosle wrote:
> 
>    Berkeley DB (http://www.sleepycat.com has provided MySQL with a
>    transaction safe table handler. This will survive crashes and also
>    provides commit and rollaback on transactions.
> 

GPL + BSD = GPL :)

> > Softupdates doesn't try to do transactions, but ensures that the 
> > filesystem is always in a usable state. Example: when you rename 
> > file a to b, journalling ensures that you see file a or b, but not
> > both. Softupdates might result in having both a and b. But do you
> > really care ?
> 
> hmm, not really, some apps may but I guess they have to be robust enough
> to deal with that.

Those apps will also want to write the disk synchronously, which screws
up performance even further. People who can put up with the reliability
of ext2fs, can certainly use softupdates.

> > 
> > They both achieve the same results (short fsck times), but have different
> > overheads.
> 
> That's interesting. Will check it out when I finish downloading OpenBSD
> and find a machine to put it on.

I don't know if openbsd has softupdates. But know for sure that freebsd
does. In general, go for openbsd if you're crazy about security. For all
other purposes, freebsd is more "cutting edge" (feature wise).

Of particular interest is the SMP + kernel threads work currently under
progress. The archives of smp@xxxxxxxxxxx have some great technical
content.

> 
> Now, is there softupdates for Linux? 
> 

Well, the code is out there. The license is compatible with GPL. But Linux
has a certain amount of NIH. I've seen both Linus and Alan arguing that
the "BSD compression" code in Linux is a module, not a part of the core
kernel and therefore, the kernel is 100% "clean" GPL.

I think much of the animosity from the two camps comes from 

(a) License wars
(b) BSD's bitterness due to loss of developers to Linux camp.
(c) BSD's perception of Linux being low quality and chaotic. I've only seen
    praise from Linux developers about BSD  (most recently yesterday's 
    interview with Mr Cox)
(d) Linux's ability to assimilate BSD code and grow, while the reverse not
    being true.
(e) Recent press hype about Linux.

	-Arun