FreeTDS Development Group

[Norman Palardy <palardyn AT mac.com>]

On Thursday, October 18, 2001, at 09:35  AM, Darryl Friesen wrote:
> That just goes without saying.  What unix software packages _can_ you
> install without being root?  Even most binary distributions require you 
> be
> root before you can install them.  You mention having the Sybase java 
> stuff;
> surely you must have been root to install that as well?

No. And without saying it it isn't obvious to anyone who has not done 
this before.

> If the importance lay on having a system that works, with commercial
> software and a support phone number to call, then my suggestion would 
> be to
> replace your OS X machine with a Sun, Alpha or IBM and use the Sybase
> software instead of FreeTDS.  At least until "real" Sybase versions are
> available for OS X.

This is precisely why the organization is not using (or paying anyone) 
for Linux, mySQL or any other products that are part of the GNU suite.
They perceive it too much "hassle" to get the GNU stuff up and running 
and support
Installable binaries from vendors are preferred

> Let me also point out the version number 0.52.  _0_ .52 implying to me 
> that
> this software is still considered pre-release and expected to have bugs,
> missing features, or otherwise require some improvement.  If this was 
> not
> the case it would have a 1.x version number.

I realize this.

> As someone already mentioned, I don't think that accurately describes
> FreeTDS's target group;  the FreeTDS "end consumer" of FreeTDS is 
> likely the
> systems administrator, who has been asked by the DB manager or 
> programmer,
> to install this software so he can implement some sort of database 
> client
> system.

I started there trying to get our SA to help me with this.
He administers several dozen machines (DEC's & Suns primarily)
After trying for a bit to figure out what options were needed he gave up 
long before I did

> True.  And if you look at the major freeware/open source products, most 
> of
> the binaries do _not_ come from the developers (you won't find many
> precompiled versions of GNU software from the GNU people themselves; 
> they're
> almost entirely contributed by users).
>
> Perhaps some disk space could be set aside on the FreeTDS server (or
> sourceforge?) for user contributed binaries.  I've got one for Digital 
> Unix
> 4.0 I'd be willing to package up.

That would be very useful and probably contribute to a wider usage of 
FreeTDS