Hi *
I just wanted to share some bugging experience I had.
I am using a GNU/Linux system built from scratch (LFS style), but rpm
packaged. I built it after my fanatic rule that closed source should NEVER be
packaged as part of the system. So, the single way I allow myself to use a
new software is to grab it's sources, hack them where needed to fit nicely in
the (almost) LSB compliant filesystem and build a binary rpm.
All is kewl.
Today, while coding on some app using mysql, I really needed to use some
nested sql queries, a feature available only in the alpha version of
mysql-4.1. No probs, I started konqi at
http://www.mysql.com/downloads/mysql-4.1.html
that pointed me to
http://www.mysql.com/doc/en/Installing_source_tree.html.
Now, in order to get the sources I need BitKeeper. Ok, off to
http://www.bitmover.com/cgi-bin/download.cgi.
They want my email address to send me "download instructions". Weird system.
Well, what the heck, I need nested sql queries, so I filled the form. I got
their response that I can download it at
http://www.bitmover.com/download
with username "bitkeeper" and password "get bitkeeper".
Man, that is a really weird system, I thought. Anyway, I went to that url and
.. arghh... no sources.
That bugged me: as a civilized member of the fs/oss comunity, like it says on
mysql.com, I am "interested in helping us (mysql) test our (their) new code".
But in order to do that I am forced to use an closed source program and
install it on my handcrafted system as root, to execute some malicious code
that some pissed-off employee blackmailed by <cough>micro$oft</cough>
inserted into their binaries, and the code will wipe off all of my non vfat
partitions (all of them) ?????? . Am I paranoid or what ? :)
Regards,
Robert Wallner
PS. I'll just wait for mysql-4.1 to turn beta, for now I'm using multiple sql
queries instead of breaking my principles :)
=================================================================
To unsubscribe, send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with
the word "unsubscribe" in the message body, e.g., run the command
echo unsubscribe | mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
