Recently in Open Source Enterprise Software Category

Here's some news: MySQL, Sun's still-shiny new open source database acquisition, will be adding new features to its Enterprise (that is, paid) version that won't be added to the Community (free and open) version.

Here's the story at ComputerWorld: MySQL reserves features for paying customers; open-source community up in arms.

Oddly enough, though, the story seems to have originated on Jeremy Cole’s blog:
Just announced: MySQL to launch new features only in MySQL Enterprise. No press releases, and the news articles I've seen so far seem to be pointing to this blog entry (and MySQL honcho Marten Mickos' response/confirmation to the entry) as their primary source.

That tells me one of two things is happening: either Sun/MySQL is trying to pull a fast one and sneak this new development under everyone's radar, or else this is just business as usual and not anything to get upset about--or at least, not be surprised about.

You can read about "user outrage" in the ComputerWorld article, as well as on Slashdot (Sun to Begin Close Sourcing MySQL). But Sun has to find a way to make that MySQL acquisition pay off, somehow.

On the other hand, as Dana Blankenhorn points out here (Did Sun just make mySQL closed source?), MySQL started limited source code access to its Enterprise version last year--if you want to see the code, you've got to be a paying customer. That's fine: if you've paid for an Enterprise license, you get to see the source code (and do what you want with it).

It shouldn't surprise anyone when a company that runs an open source project tries to make it pay off. The good news is that there is a huge--and strong--open source MySQL community, and that (as Mickos pointed out) anyone who likes could develop their own, free and open, version of the features that aren't going to make it into the community version.

I'm sure we'll be hearing more interested news from the open source database players in days and weeks to come (including from me!). One of the exciting aspects of this development is that it illustrates and illuminates some of the most critical issues facing paying and non-paying users of open source software, as well as the vendors who are trying to build their businesses on free software.

Here are some more links to OpenID knowledge:

• Could it be? Is OpenID Being Exploited By The Big Internet Companies? According to Michael Arrington, four big companies--Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and AOL--have all announced "support" for OpenID, but haven't put in the effort to make OpenID work to anyone's benefit but their own. Arrington suggests that maybe these Internet biggies are gaming the OpenID universe. A good read.
• Here's a nice OpenID resource: OpenID Status Check: A Guide to Getting and Using Your OpenID. Mostly, a list of links to OpenID resources, but not a bad place to start out if you want to try OpenID yourself. There are even some links to help you roll your own OpenIDs.

Any other good pointers? Let me know...

Thinking about trying out an open source development platform? Here's a good article to get you started: Get Started With the Eclipse Platform, all about Eclipse, from IBM's developerWorks.

I found the original link here: Get started with the Eclipse Platform, at the popular meta website, Digg.

Now, you can read the original article, go read up at Eclipse, even download and install it, but check out the Digg comments from real users and you'll get valuable information not easily available anywhere else.

The benefit of Digg is a quick sampling of opinions from people who know enough about Eclipse to have an opinion, and who care enough about it to post those opinions on Digg.

If you want to see what a virtual Linux environment looks like, check out the IBM System p Application Virtual Environment for x86 Linux. Follow the link to find out more about participating in the beta program (as well as more details about what it does and how it works).

Bill Andad at DANIWEB.com has more about it here.

One of the great things about open source software is you can make changes to the code if you need to tweak it or if you feel you can make it work better. You're not even obliged to share those changes, as long as you aren't publishing the new improved software.

That's what Google did with MySQL, according to Google Releases Improved MySQL Code.

Rather than hoard those changes for some elusive competitive advantage (they don't impact on Google's core search technologies), Google is making their code public, not just so others can benefit, but also to get the benefit of having their code reviewed by the global MySQL community.

And that's another great thing: you get the benefits of improvements made by the original software project developers--as well as any improvements and fixes made by anyone else who uses the software.

So if you want a world-class database, with fixes provided by another world class software company, check MySQL.