Re: Microsoft releses Services for Unix

From: "Dave Page" <dpage(at)vale-housing(dot)co(dot)uk>
To: "Merlin Moncure" <merlin(dot)moncure(at)rcsonline(dot)com>
Cc: "pgsql-hackers-win32" <pgsql-hackers-win32(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Subject: Re: Microsoft releses Services for Unix
Date: 2004-01-14 22:05:16
Message-ID: 03AF4E498C591348A42FC93DEA9661B8720465@mail.vale-housing.co.uk
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Merlin Moncure [mailto:merlin(dot)moncure(at)rcsonline(dot)com]
> Sent: 14 January 2004 21:18
> To: Dave Page
> Cc: pgsql-hackers-win32
> Subject: RE: [pgsql-hackers-win32] Microsoft releses Services for Unix
>
> Dave Page wrote:
> > Steve Tibbett wrote:
> > > Windows users will always prefer a Windows solution to a Unix
> > > solution running on SFU... I'd say sticking with the
> original goal
> > > of making a native Win32 version would be preferable.
> >
> > Plus I'll bet we couldn't distribute the required
> components ourselves
> > and would thus require the user to download interix first.
>
> Yes, but consider this:
> 1. from a windows developer's point of view, requiring
> Interix is no better or worse than requiring cygwin or mingw,
> except for maybe the size of the download/install.

I don't expect 99% of PostgreSQL/Win32 users to be developers. I hope we
see a myriad of apps built around a bundled PostgreSQL server, as well
as more advanced users looking to replace Access etc.

> 2. Interix will be faster than any emulated I/O. sync()
> right now is very slow because there is no corresponding
> win32 API call. Interix implements this as an optimized
> kernel mode driver. That right there is reason enough for me.
>
> 3. Postgres no longer contains tons of extra code
> specifically to support windows.

2 definate plus points.

> 4. 'Native' is a funny term. Interix runs at the same
> operations level as the win32 API (not above it, as cygwin,
> or application level emulation code). To a certain way of
> thinking, Interix applications are more native than win32 API
> code written to achieve the same purpose.

Maybe.

> The soon to be released version 3.5 has greatly beefed up
> performance and support for threads. Unless I completely
> misunderstand things, getting a native win32 port for
> postgresql off the ground will boil down to downloading
> interix and hacking out a configure script...is this correct?

Maybe. I think I have 3.5 at the office (we get most MS CDs a little
early). If I get time I'll look tomorrow.

What would scare me more is Microsoft changing the licencing terms in
the future. They already added anti open source clauses to the licence
of one of their products (iirc it was the Mobile Information Server
SDK).

Regards, Dave.

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