

Does MySQL care about Windows users?  - treskot
http://www.webyog.com/blog/2009/07/23/does-mysql-care-about-windows-users/
MySQL developers are showing indifference to Windows users - even though Windows downloads outnumber other platforms by a huge margin.
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forkqueue
Alternatively: why aren't more Windows MySQL users submitting patches?

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Herring
I suggest that Windows users ask for a refund. There's lots of commercial db
software out there.

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iamelgringo
There's a big problem with a product when you can't even get through the
installer. I've tried 3-4 separate times to get MySQL installed on several
different Windows boxes, and the installer has been broken. Eventually, I just
gave up and used postgres, which has proved to be a great move in the long
run.

~~~
treskot
I empathize with you.

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yannis
Download WAMP and you can use MySQL on Windows with no-problems. It can also
run as a standalone Package. You can also download the Designer and it is ALL
for FREE!

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treskot
The problems discussed in this articles are very much in existence in WAMP.

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yannis
What problems? If there any, they are so minor the advantages by far outweigh
these. I have been using it since probably version one and categorically
without any hassle. (Even in the pre-WAMP days I never had any serious
problems with it).

For me it has been the Golden Bridge allowing me to develop locally on a
Windows machine and to deploy in the real world on LAMP!

~~~
treskot
Yannis, If you are using MySQL every day chances are very less that you
haven't bumped into these nasty bugs. You can check the links provided by the
author to the bugs.

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dugmartin
I guess the Wamp installers take care of this for you. I've been using Mysql
on Windows via Wamp for years without a problem.

btw, the SQLyog product that Webyog makes is awesome. I use it all day,
everyday.

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jawngee
_raised left eyebrow_ Does anyone care about Windows users?

If you're doing any heavy development with a set of open source tools on
Windows - I don't know it just seems like nonsense. Dual boot, vmware, virtual
box, hackintosh, whatever means necessary, but it's always been my fundamental
belief that I work in an environment as close as possible to what I'm
deploying to. You're just creating headaches for yourself otherwise.

And if this is headed towards any kind of production/hosting thing, you - or
someone above you - are making a series of pretty poor decisions. I'm not sure
there is any other way to put it.

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mwexler
But you assume _everyone_ is deploying to a Linux and a server environment.
What if you are writing a desktop app: a poker assistant, a contacts deduper,
whatever. Some datasets strain the usual embedded dbs, and MySQL would be
great... if it worked consistently on windows.

~~~
jawngee
Then use SQLite, MySQL is overkill for this situation.

Or better yet, use any of the FREE versions of SQL Server specifically slotted
for the desktop.

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tewks
Does the preponderance of MySQL users care about Windows?

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JMostert
Does that matter? Those users who _do_ care should get the support they can
expect if management claims to be committed to Windows, regardless of how many
they are. It's a simple matter of putting your money where your mouth is: if
you care, you make sure you have people who can support Windows and like to
take responsibility to bring it up to par with the other platforms, otherwise
you make it clear that Windows is a second-class citizen and you should be
prepared to get a poorer-quality product with less support.

From a short-term management perspective it seems better to have just the
promise of support than to have nothing at all, but in the long term you're
sending a signal that MySQL on Windows isn't to be taken seriously, and that
you don't want people who are committed to Windows as customers. That's as
fine a business decision as any, but then it's cheaper to cut out Windows
development altogether than to go about it halfheartedly.

~~~
jawngee
I can't think of one good reason why you would use MySQL on Windows. I know
this seems trollish, but it's the honest to goodness truth.

Either way, it's not likely Windows is all that significant in terms of MySQL
usage or you'd be seeing more activity and movement on that front. And Windows
developers aren't really all that open source savvy yet either ...

~~~
treskot
MySQL on windows is huge. Did you know that Windows downloads outnumber other
platforms by a huge?

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thwarted
I'm not sure what "a huge" is, but download numbers from the MySQL website
would obviously be weighted towards platforms where the distribution providers
for a given manufacturer's operating system don't ship a usable version. Since
Microsoft doesn't provide MySQL as the OS manufacturer, nor do Windows
distributors like Dell ship a packaged MySQL installation, then it makes sense
that Windows would be well represented in download numbers of binaries from
the mysql website.

There's also a trend, at least in performance centric circles, to start
building from source with patches or using third-party binaries, like those
provided by percona, and other stuff not provided for on the mysql website.

Downloads from any one website are ultimately not indicative of the actual
usage of the software, especially when it comes to freely repackagable open-
source.

~~~
treskot
I'm afraid I'm not a purist. You cannot deny the fact that windows is
ubiquitous & for any software claiming to support it, it is 'huge', I repeat
its 'huge'. Just check this report ([http://dev.mysql.com/tech-
resources/articles/mysql_on_window...](http://dev.mysql.com/tech-
resources/articles/mysql_on_windows.html)) from _MySQL_ itself on how 'huge'
windows platform is.

