MySQL forks itself with Drizzle
In most companies, there are prohibitions against creating competitive, derivative works of the company's intellectual property. At MySQL (now Sun), well, things may be a little different.
As announced at the O'Reilly Open Source Convention, Brian Aker, MySQL's director of architecture, has launched Drizzle, an optimized and trimmed-down version of the popular open-source MySQL database.
In other words, MySQL has forked itself. "The right to fork" is, of course, a cardinal right of open source.
But forking is usually driven by rival factions on a project (e.g., the Adempiere developers forking Compiere). In MySQL's case, its own employees created the fork, a fork that has the blessing of Sun's senior management, according to MySQL co-founder Monty Widenius.
Personally, I find it a bit odd. If the fork was needed, why not work within the company to offer it as a separate product? But then, for those who have worked with passionate open-source developers like MySQL employs, sometimes the best policy is simply to step back and let the magic happen, even if it initially appears not to be in the company's interests. Perhaps this could end up being a supported database for Sun?
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I'd also be amazed if Sun/MySQL didn't keep all IP rights over this branch. So calling it a fork, is incorrect.
I know, I know... sensationalist headlines = more money in CNet/Asay's pockets.
To me, a "branch" implies the same CVS/SVN system or a process for synchronizing the code between the two source control systems.
Go to https://launchpad.net/drizzle and look around.
"The code is originally derived from MySQL.". So unless they plan on periodically somehow synchronizing the code with the original derivation, it looks like a fork to me dude.
And I don't think creating a fork is a bad thing here given the goals of the new project.
Oh yeah...and re: your sensationalist headlines point...I would have made it:
"Drizzle to MySQL: Fork you"
It allows Sun Labs to do some experimenting on database technology, without impacting/distracting the current version of MySQL.
Steve
You are out to lunch on this.
For an OSS evangelist your knowledge of software and OSS is alarmingly lacking.
It seems obvious that this product which is definitely not a fork, is perhaps a sqlite type of experiment. More info would be needed.