Server-Users need commercial applications. That's just the way it is. The extra ten percent of features that makes an app usable for your average Server-User are the 10% that every developer hates; those features are hard and boring to develop, and implementing them is just no fun. You need to pay developers to implement them.
Do you really think that something like INFORMIX-ONLINE is going to be created by the community? My coworker, who manages our customer service group, shelled out 1500 deutschmarks for INFORMIX. He does not regret it, even though installation is a PITA. Why? It just works: it works with our network; he gets results fast; there are a bunch of skilled DBAs and books available, etc.
In Linux we are stuck with mSQL. Sorry, but no cigar! INFORMIX calibre software will NOT be created by the community. It just takes TOO much manpower, TOO much work. No one is coding that in his spare-time.
This kind of software will also not be created by an open-source company. There is no business-model that would supports the effort. Just imagine if INFORMIX released INFORMIX-ONLINE as open-source - you think that people would still shell out 1500DM for a boxed-version? Nope, people would just copy it. There are some exceptions. For example, Cygnus receives their money from chip manufacturers not from their users.
Server-Users need commercial applications. That's just the way it is. The extra ten percent of features that makes an app usable for your average Server-User are the 10% that every developer hates; those features are hard and boring to develop, and implementing them is just no fun. You need to pay developers to implement them.
Do you really think that something like INFORMIX-ONLINE is going to be created by the community? My coworker, who manages our customer service group, shelled out 1500 deutschmarks for INFORMIX. He does not regret it, even though installation is a PITA. Why? It just works: it works with our network; he gets results fast; there are a bunch of skilled DBAs and books available, etc.
In Linux we are stuck with mSQL. Sorry, but no cigar! INFORMIX calibre software will NOT be created by the community. It just takes TOO much manpower, TOO much work. No one is coding that in his spare-time.
This kind of software will also not be created by an open-source company. There is no business-model that would supports the effort. Just imagine if INFORMIX released INFORMIX-ONLINE as open-source - you think that people would still shell out 1500DM for a boxed-version? Nope, people would just copy it. There are some exceptions. For example, Cygnus receives their money from chip manufacturers not from their users.