Several “specialized” blogs in Brazil and around the world are reporting that Oracle is closing MySQL’s source code and removing features that help external developers (third parties) to create what we call “plugins” and/or “storage engines.”
Some things are inexorable facts, and as my friend Dani Volkswagen would say, “against facts, there is no argument.” Oracle is specialized in 3 things, and in these 3 things, Oracle is unbeatable:
- Making Money: Microsoft and IBM have a lot to learn from Oracle. And I’ll go further, Bradesco, Itaú, Citibank, Santander, HSBC, and many other national and/or global financial institutions have a lot to learn from Oracle. (Almost) Everything Oracle touches turns into gold—true scrap like Sun Microsystems can turn into highly profitable business units. They charge a lot, everyone wants to pay, and deliver the reasonable.
- Technology: I doubt any other company knows technology from A to Z like Oracle does. I’ve been in the industry since 1981. I’ve seen a lot happen. And nothing compares to Oracle. I’m an unconditional fan of Steve Jobs, as well as Larry Ellison. He’s a mix of DBA and strategist. Oracle has the best database, the best high-end servers, among other “best” products.
- Irritating People: No company has the ability to irritate people like Oracle. Oracle is so good at this that it irritates IT people, non-technical users of its products/services, and even those who have no idea what Oracle is. To give you an idea, I once had a student who told me, “I hate Oracle,” and I replied, “Why?” and the brilliant answer came: “Because I don’t like anything that comes from Bill Gates!” And I… simply remained silent, because it wasn’t possible to argue. Again, Oracle irritates everyone, just like in that song about elephants.
The bad news is that Oracle will end MySQL. The good news is that I think that’s a big lie, and it’s not going to happen. My binaries say otherwise!
Who’s spreading this news? A bunch of idiots who read an idiot who published the article first. And worse, here in Brazil, it’s so bad that some blogs are translating it wrong and, worse… misinterpreting it.
Here’s the most ridiculous thing I saw, and it’s potentially the source of it all: “Oracle is closing MySQL’s source code. Developers won’t be able to improve their plugins and storage engines. And worse, users won’t be able to examine MySQL’s internal code to see if everything is functioning well and to check which bugs have been fixed.”
I say: “For the love of God!” Guys, stop everything. Download my brain, and upload it to an Exadata! How many times have you ever looked at MySQL’s source code? How many people on planet Earth (I don’t know how many would be on Mars) have the ability to examine MySQL’s source code to look for a hotfix, patch, or anything else? How many? Datena, help me here! This whole thing is the biggest nonsense I’ve ever heard (or rather: read). The console code (aka MySQL client) is one of the simplest codes out there (and the most well-known) in MySQL’s source code. Try finding how a request is sent to the server. It’s not easy if you don’t know or don’t have familiarity with the code. I’d say less than 5% of MySQL users are able to examine its source code.
Guys, seriously. What if Oracle closed the code? What’s the drama? Only 5% (theoretically, there’s no study on this) knows the code. Does Oracle have open-source code? How many times have you opened Windows to see if everything is okay? Who has looked at Excel’s source code to make sure financial calculations are correct?
Whether the code is closed or not, I doubt Oracle will get rid of MySQL. MySQL is a real and immediate threat to Oracle and Oracle (both the product and the company). In the past, MySQL was responsible for almost U$2 billion in “non-sales” (losses) per year for the red company. MySQL is so strategically important to Oracle that it deserved the creation of a separate business unit within Oracle’s structure. As far as I know, this hasn’t been done for any other product from Sun’s bankruptcy portfolio. Java, Solaris, OpenOffice, VirtualBox, and other rubbish didn’t receive that distinction.
Another good nonsense being spread around the internet with the “herd effect” or “Maria doesn’t know anything and follows the others”: “Oracle will get rid of MySQL just like it did with OpenOffice.”
Okay… Oracle “gave” OpenOffice to the Apache Foundation. In my opinion, it did the right thing. OpenOffice is a piece of crap in every way. I’m not a big fan of Microsoft, but can you compare Calc (nowadays called Spreadsheet) with Excel? Presentation with PowerPoint? You can’t.
OpenOffice never made a penny for anyone, much less for Oracle. Oracle is not, and never will be, an open-source company, and certainly won’t have the ability to donate something for prosperity. It didn’t make sense for Oracle to keep OpenOffice. I think it’s in better hands now.
Did anyone read my old posts about Oracle’s acquisition of the “OdiousNoBrasilSystems” Sun? I’m not a business guy, I’m a 40-something geek-nerd, proud and open, but I said: OpenSolaris, VirtualBox, GlassFish, and OpenOffice didn’t have a place at Oracle.
MySQL generates money for Oracle. I don’t know if it pays the bills for the business unit, but MySQL is strategic for Oracle. Just having it under its umbrella is very valuable on its own.
I doubt Oracle will stop developing MySQL. I doubt Oracle will get rid of MySQL. But I do believe that Oracle will have a much better PAID source code (MySQL Enterprise) than the FREE source code (MySQL Community Server). In fact, as I’ve said in the past, this should happen starting with MySQL 5.6.
Oh, my God! Why? How many years have you survived without advanced features? Do you have hardware for that? MySQL, as you know it, and every day improving, will continue to be delivered by Oracle. I have no doubts about that.
Don’t forget that Oracle has agreements with the European Union to maintain MySQL. I don’t believe Oracle will break those agreements under the penalty of punishment in the old continent.
And if everything goes wrong? Monty has been doing well with the development of MariaDB. Just uninstall MySQL and install MariaDB. MariaDB is a MySQL clone. Same source code with a few additional implementations. MariaDB replaces MySQL in every sense, and transparently for the database and applications. Except in rare cases.
Summary: MySQL has no expiration date. It won’t end before I retire. And if Larry wakes up with wet socks and decides to fish Sakila, ending MySQL, we have MariaDB to continue without any loss. MySQL/MariaDB is still the most solid and widely used database in the world. A great long-term bet for simple or mission-critical applications.
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