[cvsnt] Re: cvsnt status

Erv Walter erv at epicsystems.com
Tue Jul 15 21:00:36 BST 2003


I don't think I want to get into a Microsoft vs Anti-Microsoft
discussion.  To avoid it, I should have said, "Unfortunately for those
of us who work in a Microsoft centric organization..."

A Source Control System that allowed the use of any SQL backend would be
ideal (so that you can use SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc,
depending on what you already have licensed as an enterprise).  I have
nothing against MySQL, BerkelyDB, and Apache.  I would just rather see a
more flexible backend that allowed you to deploy it in multiple ways so
that it can fit in an existing environment.  It seems (from recent
information on this list) that this may actually be happening a little.
It sounds like subversion may not "require" apache and may support
several database backend choices.


-----Original Message-----
From: Glen Starrett [mailto:grstarrett at cox.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2003 1:02 PM
To: 'CVS-NT Mailing List (E-mail) (E-mail)'
Subject: RE: [cvsnt] Re: cvsnt status

> Unfortunately, subversion are going strongly down a non-Microsoft path

> (Apache, BerkeleyDB, etc).

I don't see why that is a bad thing.  Highly capable free software
should be an issue--and keeping free software free of licensing
requirement keeps it free.

HOWEVER:  If CVSNT uses a SQL Server backend, it will no longer be free.
You cannot install the MSDE on the backend with CVS and say done,
because you are violating Microsoft's licensing on that product.  They
will insist you purchase the full SQL Server license with CAL's or a SQL
Server "internet pack" for every CVSNT installation.  That means
thousands of dollars of licenses to use an otherwise free product.

I thought MSDE has a limit of 10 client connections, but it seems that
has either changed or was just plain wrong.  It says it is "tuned" for 5
connections or fewer--I think that is marketing-speak for "purposefully
stalls user 6+".  It also does have the limit of 2G per table.  MSDE may
indeed be a viable alternative for CVSNT backend database for small
installations, <cynical>BUT Microsoft may also change it's licensing
terms if it sees too many people using MSDE without enough of them being
forced to upgrade to SQL Server</cynical>.

Here's a comparison of the various MS database options:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnmsde/
html
/msdeforvs.asp

Personally, I don't want to see CVSNT get within 10 miles of SQL Server,
even though I use both products every day at work.  I strongly recommend
MySQL or PostgreSQL as the database backend if a database backend is
desired for CVSNT.  Beyond the licensing reasons it just feels wrong to
make a free product tied to such a non-free one as SQL Server.


Glen Starrett



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