Re: PostgreSQL still for Linux only? - Mailing list pgsql-general

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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. 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

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